The nucleic acid test (NAT) validity for individuals entering Macau from Guangdong Province has been extended from 72 hours to seven days from today, The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement.
This comes after reaching an agreement on the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism between Zhuhai and Macau.
Individuals entering Zhuhai-Macau checkpoints or by sea must hold proof of a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result within seven days after the date of sampling.
Non-Macau residents who fail to present such proof will be denied entry, whereas Macau residents will be required to undergo nucleic acid testing immediately.
For those who are travelling from Macau to Guangdong Province, the validity period of the negative NAT result will remain at seven days. Other cross-boundary epidemic prevention requirements are unchanged.
In the same statement, the center calls on unvaccinated people or those who have not obtained their booster to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Speaking with Zhuhai Municipality president Huang Zhihao earlier this week, the Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said that he hopes that in the future, it will be possible to extend the NAT validity period further to boost the movement of visitors and economic activity between the two territories.
Huang said that currently, the work to prevent and control the pandemic is still the priority, and the collaboration in this matter between Zhuhai and Macau has been “very effective, with close communication and cooperation.”
He affirmed that Zhuhai will always keep in mind the original mission of promoting the development of Macau’s economic diversification, according to the statement.
The CE has said that the joint prevention and control mechanism between Zhuhai and Macau continues to “play a positive role,” ensuring that the work of prevention and control of the pandemic in the two territories achieves “remarkable results and the population of Macau lives in stability.”
The CE disclosed that, currently, the daily average number of people crossing the border between Zhuhai and Macau stands at more than 300,000, and the results of the prevention and control of the pandemic were not easy to achieve.
He added that the two territories must improve and optimize their policies for the prevention and control of the pandemic.
