Negative Covid-19 test required for travelers to mainland via Macau

From April 29, travelers from Macau with a history of travel to Taiwan or foreign countries are required to present a negative nucleic acid test (NAT) or rapid antigen test when traveling to mainland China.

Meanwhile, Beijing announced that travelers entering China will no longer need to provide a negative NAT result starting Saturday, in another easing of China’s zero-Covid policies.

Travelers can instead show a negative antigen test result taken within 48 hours before boarding.

Over the last three years, China imposed an array of anti-virus controls to try to eliminate the coronavirus from the country, including lockdowns and regular mass testing. However, the government suddenly rolled back the strict measures in December and made a major step to drop its quarantine rule in early January.

At a briefing yesterday, He Qinghua, an official of the National Health Commission, said the number of Covid-19 cases in early April had dropped to the lowest level since December. Although the figures have risen slightly since mid-April, massive outbreaks in the short term are unlikely, he said.  MDT/AP