CDC: Quarantine-free scheme with Hong Kong may only welcome vaccinated travelers
Although there no update from the local government on border normalization with Hong Kong at the regular health press conference yesterday, Dr Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hinted that full vaccination may be needed for physical interactions.
Many are anticipating, and speculating, that the border will return to normal operations between Macau and Hong Kong on December 20. The public health doctor at the CDC has been asked about this repeatedly.
Yesterday, when asked the question again, she said there was no update on the matter, recapping that the disease control measures between the mainland and the Special Administrative Regions (SARs) must be in alignment.
“Considering many governments have adopted the ‘vaccine bubble’ initiative, Macau-Hong Kong border normalization may be so,” she said.
When asked if this implies the need of vaccination for border crossings between mainland China and Macau, given that measures across three jurisdictions must be congruent, she replied that it is only a possibility
She added that, during the early phase, not all people will be allowed to go to Hong Kong and back without quarantine. She expects that those who have urgent needs, such as visiting a terminally ill relative, will be among the first eligible.
Given individuals moving between Macau and mainland China need to convert their health codes between the mainland edition and the Macau edition, Macau-Hong Kong border normalization may function similarly. Hong Kong will kick in its health code system in upcoming days.
Leong, for the first time, admitted that the city’s government and its Hong Kong counterpart are working on the technical level for health code conversions.
When asked why the SARs’ border normalization criteria seems to constantly changing, she denied this, and reiterated that the requirements have never changed. Should vaccination be required, she said, all types of vaccine available in both mainland China and the SARs will be considered valid.
As to why some individuals are not included in the booster shot program, and when they will be, Leong said the decision was made based on global guidelines, such as those issued by the WHO and the National Health Commission (NHC), “because we have administered quite a large number of the Sinopharm vaccine.”
Not providing booster shots to the vaccinated with two doses of the mRNA vaccine generally is a decision made in line with the WHO guidelines, she added.
When asked whether individuals vaccinated outside of Macau can have their records transferred to the Macau health code, Leong said these individuals can do so, with valid testimony or certification, at any vaccination point in Macau.
