NAT under quarantine period to cost MOP250/each

Beginning May 8, a fee will be charged for the mandatory nucleic acid tests (NATs) to be performed on people arriving in Macau from high-risk areas and on those who need to undergo quarantine, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced.

From midnight May 8, people entering Macau from abroad will have to pay an additional amount of 2,000 patacas, equivalent to the eight NATs to be done during the quarantine period.

At the same time, those arriving from high-risk areas from the Mainland, Hong Kong or Taiwan will have to spend some 1,250 patacas for the five mandatory NATs.

The new measure was justified by the health authorities in a bid to “make rational use of the public purse.”

On the topic, the same authorities advanced, “currently, sampling services for nucleic acid tests in medical observation hotels are provided by non-governmental sampling entities that are appointed by the Health Bureau. As on-site sampling requires more human resources and the samples have to be tested individually, the expenses [for such procedure] are 250 patacas per person per hour.”

The center also explained that since those expenses result from the “travel abroad by the individuals concerned, to make good use of the public purse, payment must be made by the users of the services themselves.”

From midnight May 8, when people board a plane, boat, or vehicle bound for Macau, in addition to pre-booking a medical observation hotel, they also need to pay in advance the fees for the NAT package online, and submit the SMS confirming the purchase prior to commencing the trip to Macau.