As of 6pm on Monday (July 13) all people travelling from Hong Kong to Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau (HKZM) Bridge must hold a certificate proving they have tested negative for Covid-19 infection. The certificate must have been issued within seven days of the traveller’s intended arrival in Macau.
The Macau government’s task force on Covid-19, known as the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, announced the new measure in a statement on Monday afternoon.
The statement said that the measure was in view of a new wave of infections in neighbouring Hong Kong. It said that anyone who failed to provide the necessary negative result from such test, could be denied entry in Macau.
Under current rules, those arriving in Macau having travelled from Hong Kong are required to undergo a 14-day period of medical observation in a designated hotel.
The HKZM Bridge is currently the only regular link allowing people to move between the two cities. The regular scheduled ferry service between Hong Kong and Macau has been suspended since early February at the request of the Hong Kong government, as part of countermeasures to the spread of Covid-19.
Hong Kong is currently battling a wave of fresh Covid-19 cases. The authorities there recorded 38 newly-confirmed cases on Sunday, of which 30 were locally transmitted. The city now has had a tally of 1,469 Covid-19 cases, with seven related deaths, according to official data.
On Sunday, the Macau government announced that as of 6am on Tuesday (July 14) all people leaving Macau either by air or by ferry will need to present prior to departure a nucleic acid test certificate confirming a negative result for Covid-19 within seven days of their journey.
