All ferry services between Macau and Hong Kong were suspended from midnight Monday night, but ferries are still running between Macau’s Inner Harbour and Zhuhai’s Wanzai as well as between Macau and Shenzhen.
Turbojet and Cotaijet that operated daily ferry services between both Macau and Taipa and the Shun Tak Centre in Hong Kong on Monday evening both said that sailings would be suspended at midnight until further notice, following the Hong Kong government’s announcement Monday afternoon that it was closing its checkpoints at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan, as well as Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau which both connect to the mainland via the MTR.
The closing of the checkpoints is part of Hong Kong government’s measures to battle a wider outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
Monday’s move means that only the checkpoints at the Hong Kong International Airport, Shenzhen Bay and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) remain open.
According to the Macau Post Daily, prior to Hong Kong government’s announcement, Macau’s Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) said in a statement on Monday that all passengers travelling on ferries are required to wear facemasks, urging the public to stay alert about precautionary measures and cancel any unnecessary trips to reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.
But after the announcement, the bureau said in a follow-up statement, quoting Hong Kong government’s measure, that all ferries running between Macau and Hong Kong would be suspended from midnight except the airport route.
Then later in another statement, the bureau said that the suspension of ferry services includes the airport route.
