A total of 129,967 mainlanders visited Macao between 1-7 October during the National Day/Mid-Autumn Festival Golden Week holiday, a year-on-year decline of 83.6 per cent, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced today.
The 8-day Golden Week ends today. It was extended by the central government by one day this year as it comprised the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, which both fell on 1 October this time.
Mainlanders accounted for 93.3 per cent of the total number of 139,280 visitor arrivals between 1-7 October, according to MGTO data released today.
Foreign nationals without the right of abode have been barred from entering Macao since March as part of the government’s novel coronavirus prevention and control measures. Visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan are allowed to visit Macao but must undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine and medical observation after arriving here.
Macao has been described by commentators as one of the world’s safest places as far as the COVID-19 pandemic is concerned. Since 22 January, Macao has confirmed 46 novel coronavirus cases. All of the patients have meanwhile been cured and discharged from hospital. A total of 44 of the cases were classified by the local Health Bureau (SSM) as imported, while it classified two of the cases as “connected to imported cases.”
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government announced this week that it has extended its border control and compulsory quarantine measures for visitors from Macao and Taiwan by more than two months to 31 December.
However, a Hong Kong government statement quoted a spokesperson as saying that extending the expiry dates of the relevant regulations did not imply that the restrictions currently imposed under those regulations would be maintained until the corresponding expiry dates.
Passenger ferry links between Macao and Hong Kong have been suspended since early this year. However, limited vehicular traffic has continued via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB).
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
PHOTO © Xinhua News Agency/Cheong Kam Ka
