San Tung Fong Commercial Inn, South Wing, situated on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, has become the seventh hotel designated for medical observation purposes, the government announced last night.
With 89 rooms, the latest property to be transformed into a quarantine facility raises the supply of rooms for this purpose to 1,747 across the Macau SAR.
In a recent policy change, the government has done away with an earlier measure allowing local residents to undergo their medical isolation either at home or at a government-designated location. Now, residents, upon their return to Macau, are to undergo medical observation at designated hotels only.
In addition to San Tung Fong Commercial Inn, South Wing, the other six properties serving as quarantine facilities are Pousada Marina Infante Hotel, Golden Crown China Hotel, Regency Art Hotel, Grand Coloane Resort, Metropole Hotel, and Treasure Hotel.
The Treasure Hotel, a hotel located in Taipa that is not yet open to the public, is the sixth hotel to be designated as a quarantine facility, as announced by the government over the weekend. The hotel is located opposite Macau International Airport and adjacent to the Golden Crown China Hotel.
According to government records, about 1,000 Macau students currently abroad have registered with the government to return home.
To accommodate the large number of returnees, the government is working to designate suitable venues in which to carry out medical examinations and provide quarantine.
A statement issued by the government stressed that the authorities take into account “a diverse range of factors and conditions” when deciding which properties can be repurposed into quarantine facilities. It must also obtain the consent of the owners of such properties.
During the decision-making process, which is led by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), the Health Bureau must also be consulted on potential risk factors.
The seven hotels currently in use as designated hotels “are committed to social responsibility, and providing support and coordination with the SAR Government for implementation of the measure of medical observation,” the government said in a statement. DB/RM
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