The Macau government announced yesterday that more families who need a domestic helper will be eligible to submit an application for its pilot programme of granting Philippine domestic helpers an exemption from its current entry ban on foreign nationals without a Macau ID card.

Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), announced the new measure, which will take effect on Monday, during yesterday’s regular press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre.

The Macau government launched the pilot programme on Monday last week that once again allows Philippine nationals who have been hired by families in Macau as domestic helpers to enter the city.

Leong said yesterday that the local government will start the second phase of the pilot programme on Monday next week. 

Currently, i.e., before the new measure takes effect on Monday, the pilot programme covers Philippine domestic helpers who have been hired to look after senior citizens aged 65 or over, children aged below three, or those with chronic diseases.

From Monday, according to Leong, the programme will cover Philippine domestic helpers who have been hired to look after children aged below 12, a change from the current version which covers children aged below three. In addition to those with chronic diseases, Leong said, from Monday the programme will also cover those with disabilities.

According to Leong, the minimum age of senior citizens to be covered by the programme from Monday will remain unchanged at 65.

The respective employers or employment agencies can submit their applications at: https://www.ssm.gov.mo/faen/ph-houseworker

Leong also said that the Health Bureau has improved the operation of the programme’s application system, according to which applicants can fill in the basic information and save it on the application system between every Thursday and Sunday, before submitting the application on the system from every Monday to Wednesday, i.e., for securing a quota for a quarantine hotel guestroom for their domestic helper.

Leong also said that the government has so far received only six applications for the pilot programme since its launch on Monday last week. Leong said that the government has classified five of the six applications as being eligible, while the other application has been rejected. Three of the five eligible applications have been approved, while the respective applicants of the other two cases are required to submit additional information that they had failed to submit in order for their applications to be finally approved, Leong said.

Quarantine hotels’ new arrangements

Meanwhile, Lau Fong Chi, who heads the Communication and External Relations Department of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), announced during yesterday’s press conference that the government will change its arrangements for those arriving in Macau from areas with different levels of COVID-19 risks to check into different quarantine hotels in the city. Lau said that the local government has decided to roll out the new arrangements, which will take effect on Sunday, after considering that Hong Kong’s COVID-19 epidemic situation has been easing while Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation is deteriorating.

According to Lau, two of the city’s current four quarantine hotels, Pousada Marina Infante in Cotai and Grand Coloane Resort will be used as “general” quarantine hotels earmarked for those arriving from Hong Kong, and areas in the mainland that are affected by local COVID-19 cases. The other two quarantine hotels, Treasure Hotel and Regency Art Hotel in Taipa, will be used as “special” quarantine hotels earmarked for those arriving from the Taiwan region and foreign countries.

Pousada Marina Infante will be a “general designated” quarantine hotel, while Grand Coloane Resort will be a “general self-selected” quarantine hotel, Lau said.

According to Lau, Treasure Hotel, which is located opposite the airport in Taipa, will be a “special designated” quarantine hotel, while Regency Art Hotel will be a “special self-selected” quarantine hotel.

Macau residents and non-resident workers can choose to book either a “designated” hotel or a “self-selected” hotel, while other travellers must book a “self-selected” hotel, according to Lau.

A stay at a “designated” hotel is reportedly less expensive than a stay at a “self-selected” hotel.

Lau noted that Macau residents meeting certain criteria can apply for an exemption from paying for their first-time stay for COVID-19 medical observation at a “designated” hotel.

However, according to Lau, Philippine domestic helpers who have been granted permission to enter Macau can only choose to stay at Treasure Hotel for their COVID-19 medical observation, a “special designated” quarantine hotel.

Under the new arrangements, Lau said, travellers can start booking a guestroom at the respective quarantine hotels by email at 12 p.m. today.

Meanwhile, Leong said during yesterday’s press conference that the validity of the negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result for those entering Macau from Guangdong could be further relaxed from the current 72 hours once the province’s COVID-19 situation further stabilises.

10,000 BioNTech jabs for kids

Leong also said that 10,000 doses of BioNTech mRNA vaccine specifically for children aged between 5 and 11 are now expected to be delivered to Macau around the middle of this month.

The Macau government said in March that the doses were initially slated to be delivered to Macau at the beginning of the second (current) quarter at the earliest.

Leong also noted yesterday that Macau has not reported a new local COVID-19 case for 208 consecutive days.

Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division, addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s COVID-19 situation. Photo: GCS