Arrivals from Taiwan will have to spend three weeks rather than a fortnight in hotel quarantine from now on.
Under the reintroduced measure, which took effect at 00:00 yesterday, anyone who has been to Taiwan within the 21 days prior to their entry into Macao must undergo quarantine and medical observation at a quarantine hotel upon arrival. After completing the 21-day quarantine, they will not need to practise self-health management.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced that the government had decided to tighten its quarantine requirements for arrivals from Taiwan “due to the latest changes in Taiwan’s Covid-19 epidemic situation”.
Those who had still not completed their 14-day hotel quarantine – after arriving from Taiwan – before the measure took effect yesterday are required to practise seven days of self-health management after completing the fortnight’s quarantine. The Macao Health Code colour of those undergoing self-health management will be yellow, The Macau Post Daily reported.
Taiwan’s health authorities yesterday confirmed 206 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number ever recorded in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
Taiwan has been grappling with a series of cluster infections in the past few days and yesterday marked the third consecutive day in which the record for the highest number of daily local cases was broken.
The Macao government’s announcement on Saturday came after the island’s health authorities reported 180 new local Covid-19 cases earlier that day, the then highest number recorded in a single day since the pandemic began.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre underlined that “it has decided to implement the new quarantine measure in line with the latest developments of Taiwan’s Covid-19 epidemic situation. The centre will constantly assess Taiwan’s Covid-19 epidemic situation. Macao will restore its original [14-day] quarantine measure [for arrivals from Taiwan] as early as possible if conditions allow it.”
The 21-day quarantine requirement for arrivals from Taiwan came only two days after the Macao government reimposed its self-health management on them on Friday, according to which those who had completed the then 14-day hotel quarantine in Macao after arriving from Taiwan were required to practice seven days of self-health management.
About two months ago, the Macao government lifted its then 14-day self-health management for arrivals from Taiwan.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had recorded 1,682 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, including 550 local infections. A total of 12 Covid-19 deaths have been reported on the island, which has a population of 23.8 million.
