Covid-19 | Seven-day self-health management scrapped for Hong Kong visitors

Since yesterday, the Health Bureau (SSM) relaxed quarantine requirements for Hong Kong visitors, who now no longer need to observe a seven-day self-health management following their 14-day mandatory quarantine at a designated facility.
In yesterday’s Covid-19 press conference, Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, announced the good news about the relaxed measures for Hong Kong residents seeking to enter Macau.
This exemption is also applicable to all Hong Kong ID holders who had already commenced the 14-day quarantine and are now staying at local quarantine venues.
When questioned by the media as to why those who entered Macau prior to the enactment of the measure will also enjoy the exemption, Leong said the SSM has been making “fluid adjustments” on quarantine measures based on the pandemic situation of the countries and regions of origin.
“Considering that Hong Kong has registered single-digit confirmed cases daily, lately, and it has implemented stringent anti-pandemic measures, including the strict tracing methods, compulsory testing at restricted areas. As a result, we decided to make such a relaxation,” she confirmed.

Expedited cross-border travel
Cross-border travel between Macau and China may be further eased soon, Tai Wa Hou, coordinator of the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Covid-19 Vaccination Operation, hinted yesterday.
As mentioned by Ho Iat Seng earlier, the Macau SAR government has been engaged in proactive discussions with the Chinese government to set up a mutual vaccine recognition mechanism in a bid to expedite cross-border travel for residents from both sides.
“The approach is to incentivize more locals to get inoculated by promising them an easier way to travel into China,” Tai added.
“We hope that the good news will be announced very soon,” he hinted.

‘Uncertain’ not equivalent to no conclusion in first paralysis case

On April 22, a dedicated investigation team concluded that the linkage between the city’s first facial paralysis case and the mRNA vaccine is “uncertain.”
“The team has not found any evidence to prove the association between the two events. Thus, we cannot confirm whether the two events are interrelated,” Tai said.
However, he stressed that “uncertain” is not equivalent to the team being unable to draw any conclusions from the investigation.