Families can reunite outside Macau: CE

Urged to allow the entry of local residents’ foreign family members into Macau, Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng said that the people in Macau are free to leave and reunite with foreign family members outside Macau’s borders.
He was responding to an inquiry made by lawmaker Agnes Lam who addressed this issue and the difficulties local families are facing to recruit non-residents workers (TNR) as domestic helpers.
“I know that the situation of the separation from family members is difficult but we have ways that people can use to arrive at other places worldwide. These people can exit from Macau and arrive at the place where their family members are. I think this is easy,” Ho said, noting that Macau also has a mechanism to allow residents coming from other locations to return to Macau.
The CE noted that the government is not forcing people to stay in Macau and if they want to see their family members, they can travel abroad. Remarking on whether foreign nationals would be allowed to reenter Macau, he said it is possible “when the conditions allow that,” noting that there are cases where foreigners can enter as long as they have the authorization and undergo the 14-day quarantine.
“As a government, we must ensure the safety of the residents of Macau. Any country or region would do the same to protect its residents,” Ho said, justifying such restrictions and noting that it is necessary to find a balance between the need of the families in Macau and the safety of the population.
According to Ho, the government already found a solution for the problem of the TNR, saying, “As long as they already have the two doses of the vaccine, they can obtain authorization to enter Macau, but they need to undergo [the 14-day] quarantine as we need to ensure the safety.” He added: “If the society agrees with this, the Health Bureau, can move forward with this solution.” RM