The fee for a Covid-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) at the city’s seven regular testing stations has been further reduced to MOP 55, with effect from today.
Announcing the reduction,Tai Wa Hou, a clinical director of the Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, said it was “good news”.
The city currently has seven regular NAT stations, which comprise of the Macao Forum station in ZAPE and the Pac On station at the Taipa Ferry Terminal; the station at the Qingmao checkpoint in Ilha Verde, the station at the Macao-side checkpoint zone of the mainland China -Macao joint border checkpoint in Hengqin and the station at the Workers Stadium next to the Barrier Gate checkpoint; one run by Kiang Wu Hospital; and one run by the Macao University of Science and Technology’s University Hospital.
Tai said residents who have already booked a test and paid online will get a MOP 15 refund. Since the launch of Macao’s regular NAT programme in May 2020 when each test cost MOP 180, the fee has been cut five times, most recently last October when it was reduced to MOP 70.
Tai added that he expected that a new testing institution would be granted official approval soon, and it would probably offer even cheaper NATs. While the NAT fee in Macao is higher than in mainland China, it is significantly lower than in Hong Kong where each test costs up to MOP 240.
In related news, Lau Fong Chi, who heads the Communication and External Relations Department of the Macao Government Tourism Office, has announced that foreign domestic helpers can choose to stay at the city’s special quarantine hotels, either Treasure Hotel or Regency Art Hotel in Taipa, The Macau Post Daily reported.
