Anyone in Macao who has been in Guangzhou or Foshan within the past 14 days is required to take a one-off nucleic acid test (NAT), as of 9 am this morning.
Arrivals from certain areas in Guangzhou and Foshan are currently required to undergo 14 days’ hotel quarantine, while arrivals from other parts of the two cities are still not subject to the Macao government’s quarantine requirement.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre (NCRCC) announced that the Health Bureau (SSM) will send an SMS to all those who have been to Guangzhou or Foshan within the past 14 days, requiring them to undergo a free NAT within a specified period of time. If they fail to take the test, their Macao Health Code colour will turn to yellow, until they complete the test. If it shows up negative their health code colour will return to green.
The NCRCC stated that the SMS will contain a link to a specific booking system for the NAT. The negative result of the one-off nucleic acid test cannot be used for crossing the Macao-mainland border. The NCRCC noted that those who need to travel between Macao and the mainland have to book a NAT on the government’s appointment system for members of the general public, which costs MOP 90.
The negative NAT result for those travelling between Macao and the mainland without having to undergo quarantine is valid for seven days.
The centre added that all those who have been in Guangzhou or Foshan in the past 14 days must complete the nucleic acid test before 6 pm today.
In other Covid-19 development, the Macao government has imposed a 14-day hotel quarantine on those who have been to Haizhu, Liwan, Nansha, Panyu or Yuexiu districts in Guangzhou, and Nanhai or Chancheng districts in Foshan, within the past 14 days.
Under the new measure, those who have been to one of the districts within the 14 days prior to entering Macao must undergo 14 days’ quarantine and medical observation at quarantine hotels upon arrival. The NCRCC has also urged residents to refrain from travelling to Guangzhou or Foshan, considering the “serious” Covid-19 epidemic in the two cities. The centre said that those with homes in Guangzhou or Foshan should defer returning to the two cities to visit their families or relatives.
The centre also urged local entities to suspend any unnecessary trips to Guangzhou or Foshan.
Since Macao imposed its 14-day hotel quarantine on arrivals from a community in Guangzhou’s Liwan district, it has been adding more communities and sub-districts in the two cities to its quarantine requirement list. It has since imposed mandatory quarantine on arrivals from five entire districts in Guangzhou (which has 11 districts in total) and two whole districts in Foshan (which has five districts in total).
The centre also noted that those who travelled on a train which passed through Guangzhou South railway station, which is located in the city’s Panyu district, but did not enter the station are not subject to the Macao government’s latest quarantine requirement, reported the Macau Post Daily.
