Vaccine a must for Macau-HK quarantine-free travel: govt

Dec 21, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong U (pictured), says that full vaccination against Covid-19 will be a requirement for any individuals seeking quarantine-free travel between the city and Hong Kong, once such an arrangement is officially launched.

Macau and Hong Kong might have the necessary conditions for resuming travel between the places on a quarantine-free basis, once Hong Kong and the mainland had reached a similar arrangement, said Ms Ao Ieong. She was speaking to reporters on Monday, on the sidelines of an event to mark the 22nd anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region.

The official said that those applying for quarantine-free travel between Macau and Hong Kong would need to ensure that a minimum of 14 days had elapsed since the second jab of their two-dose Covid-19 vaccination course. A valid nucleic acid test would also be required for those wishing to travel, she added.

Ms Ao Ieong said there would be a quota system for such travel at a trial stage, and individuals would have to register online on a “first-come, first-served basis”. The size of such quota would be set in a “reasonable proportion” to the size of quota available for quarantine-free travel between the mainland and Hong Kong, stated the Secretary.

If conditions allow, “the quota will be gradually increased,” she added.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post media outlet reported last week – citing sources that it didn’t identify – that as many as 3,000 Hong Kong residents a day could be allowed to travel to mainland China under a quarantine-free scheme.

The decision on whether to ease travel restrictions remains with Beijing, but the mainland authorities are believed to be keeping a close eye on Guangdong province which has seen a recent uptick in Covid-19 cases.

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