Daily RATs, regular NATs to continue next week

All residents of Macau will be required to take SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test (RAT) every day starting this Saturday.

After round 13, the city will see another citywide SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test (NAT) between July 30 and 31.

Daily NATs for key groups will remain. Key groups, including workers in cleaning, security, property management, dining, food delivery, public transport driver and stay-out domestic helpers, will need to take NATs every day from Sunday to the end of next week, as of press time.

Other working groups will need to take NATs every other day from Sunday to the end of next week, as of press time.

However, the head of Education and Youth Development Bureau, Kong Chi Meng, emphasized that the regular NATs will not be mandatory for entering workplaces, but “employers or workplace management should verify whether their staff have taken the tests.”

Kong encouraged employers to allow their employees to conduct the NAT during work hours to avoid crowds accumulating.

July 24 and 25 will only see 58 test stations in operation. Test station availabilities and hours of operation from July 26 will be announced in due course, Kong added.

Those working from home will be considered to be at a similar risk to those staying home, so they will not be considered part of the working groups for the purposes of regular NAT requirements.