The Macau government has announced stricter measures for people that have been in certain areas of Guangzhou and Foshan, in neighbouring Guangdong province, due to newly-reported cases of Covid-19 infection there.
The Macau health authorities announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people who had been in either the districts of Haizhu, Liwan, Nansha, Panyu or Yuexiu in Guangzhou; or in the Nanhai and Chancheng districts of Foshan, within 14 days of their intended arrival in Macau. The measure took effect at 6pm on Sunday (June 6).
A separate announcement said that all those currently in Macau who had been in Guangzhou or Foshan within the previous 14 days are required to do a nucleic acid test no later than 6pm today (Monday, June 7). Their health code under Macau’s self-reporting system, would show as ‘red’ until they tested negative for Covid-19.
Those who fail to undergo such a test by 6pm – without a reasonable explanation – will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine, said the city’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre in its statement.
An additional statement said that starting from 10am tomorrow (June 8), people intending to enter Macau from Guangdong must hold a nucleic acid test certificate – issued within 48 hours – proving they are ‘negative’ for Covid-19 infection.
Mainland China is the only place to have a largely quarantine-free travel bubble with Macau, amid existing travel restrictions as countermeasures against Covid-19. Guangdong province has been the largest-single source of Macau’s inbound mainland Chinese tourists in recent months, according to official data.
In recent weeks, the number of mainland communities – including districts of Guangzhou and Foshan in Guangdong – where residents would be subject to quarantine on arrival in Macau, has been growing, linked to a surge of Covid-19 cases in those communities.
Macau inhabitants have also been advised by the city’s government not to visit affected places in Guangdong.
Macau’s Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, said last week that fresh cases of Covid-19 in Guangdong were likely to have an impact on the recently-started “tourism recovery” in Macau.
