The Taipa Maritime Terminal and the Conde de São Januário Hospital (CHCSJ) are the only two establishments in Macau that can provide Covid-19 nucleic acid tests recognized for border-crossing purposes, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center has announced.
Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, elaborated that tests done elsewhere, such as those done on patients newly admitted to hospital, are not considered eligible for other purposes and will not be shown on the Macau Health Code. In other words, it will not facilitate border-crossing or entry to casinos. Tests conducted purposefully on frontline casino workers will also not be recognized for immigration purposes.
She explained that this was to close a potential loophole where people avoid paying for the test by taking it free-of-charge as part of a regular check-up or other medical service.
Meanwhile, the official test quota will be expanded to 7,500 per day from today. An extra sample collection venue will be added at the Macau Forum in addition to the Taipa Maritime Terminal and the CHCSJ special test post. At the latter, only seniors, minors, secondary school students, registered disabled people and registered caretakers are eligible to get tested.
Procedures for booking a test remain unchanged. People should log onto the Health Bureau’s booking platform to book directly. The first test for local residents is free-of-charge. Subsequent tests and tests for non-locals are MOP180 each.
Previously, Macau had only lifted arrival quarantine procedures for mainland residents arriving from the mainland. This has been expanded and now covers Hong Kong and Taiwan residents under certain conditions.
First and foremost, they need to provide proof that they have been on the mainland for the preceding 14 days. The proof may be an itinerary card, border control record or other supporting documents.
They will also need to provide a negative Covid-19 test result obtained within the preceding seven days.
The lifting of arrival quarantine has also been expanded to mainland Chinese non-resident workers coming from the mainland. When attempting to enter Macau, they should have a negative Covid-19 test result from the last seven days and a green Macau Health Code.
Entries for non-working purposes are more complicated. Currently, foreign tourists are still barred from entering Macau.
Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents who have been on the mainland for the past 14 days with a negative test from within the past seven days will be accepted quarantine-free.
However, they will be quarantined on arrival if they enter from Hong Kong or Taiwan. They will be barred if they depart from places other than greater China.
July 16 saw the end of the special ferry service between the Hong Kong International Airport and the Taipa Maritime Terminal. The Macao Government Tourism Office recorded 1,767 inbound and 1,163 outbound passengers over the one-month period. It also disclosed that the mission cost 4.5 million patacas.
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