Gov’t issues new NAT requirement for mainland arrivals

All mainland visitors will be required to undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) on the second day after arriving, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre has stated.

The announcement came amid several cases that the city has recently recorded which were linked with mainland China, including the woman who arrived from Zhuhai after flying from Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, and who stayed at the Harbourview Hotel, causing the hotel to be cordoned off.   

The measure came into effect yesterday and will be applicable to those who entered Macau from mainland China on or after November 17.

The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou locked down its largest district yesterday as it tries to tamp down a major Covid-19 outbreak, suspending public transit and requiring residents to present a negative test if they want to leave their homes.

Baiyun district, home to 3.7 million people in Guangzhou, has also suspended in-person classes for schools and sealed off universities. The measures are meant to last until Friday, the city has announced.

Guangdong province, home to Guangzhou, reported the largest number of new cases yesterday with 9,085 out of a total of 27,095 cases nationwide.