Zhuhai yesterday lifted its seven-day hotel quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau.

The quarantine-free travel for those arriving in Zhuhai from Macau took effect at 6 p.m. yesterday.

The lifting of quarantine was announced in a statement by the Zhuhai health authorities quoted by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday.

According to the new measure, those entering Zhuhai from Macau quarantine-free must present a nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for 24 hours.

According to yesterday’s statement, those who have entered Zhuhai from Macau should report their arrival to their homes’ respective neighbourhood committees or hotels where they stay. In addition, those who work in Zhuhai should also report their arrival from Macau to their employers after entering Zhuhai from Macau, the statement said.

Those who have entered Zhuhai from Macau must undergo another nucleic acid test within 48 hours after entering Zhuhai, the statement said.

During the first three days after entering Zhuhai from Macau for the first time under the quarantine lifting measure, the statement said, the travellers should always only travel between their homes and workplaces, without visiting other venues unnecessarily. They should also refrain from taking public bus rides and engaging in meal gatherings and other gatherings in Zhuhai during the first three days, the statement said.

Barrier Gate checkpoint to only open from tomorrow

The statement also noted that a project to improve fire safety equipment and install other equipment is still being carried out at Zhuhai’s Gongbei checkpoint, because of which it will only resume operations at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Correspondingly, the statement said, Macau’s Barrier Gate checkpoint will also only resume operations at 6 a.m. tomorrow.

The statement noted that before the resumption of operations of the Barrier Gate checkpoint, commuters can choose to use other land border checkpoints, namely the Qingmao checkpoint, the Hengqin checkpoint, the Zhuhai-Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), and the Zhuhai Macau Cross-border Industrial Zone checkpoint.

However, the Zhuhai Macau Cross-border Industrial Zone checkpoint is only open to those working in the cross-border industrial zone.

The statement also noted that the operation of the Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal, which runs a ferry service with Zhuhai’s Wanzai, is still suspended.

Moreover, the statement also noted that the current COVID-19 border measure for those entering Macau from Zhuhai remains unchanged, according to which they must present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for 48 hours.

Those entering Zhuhai from Macau had been subject to seven days of hotel quarantine plus three days of home health monitoring after the detection of Macau’s latest COVID-19 outbreak that began on June 18. The outbreak subsided last week. In the wake of its worst outbreak since January 2020, Macau entered a six-day stabilisation period on Tuesday in its ongoing fight against COVID-19, including the resumption of restaurants’ dine-in services.

Tens of thousands of local residents and non-resident workers have their homes in Zhuhai, because of which they regularly commute between the two cities during Macau’s normalised COVID-19 prevention and control period, i.e., the implementation of quarantine-free travel between Macau and Zhuhai.

When Zhuhai’s quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau was in force, many of the commuters needed to stay in local hotels, inns, or employer-provided accommodation.

After yesterday’s announcement of Zhuhai’s quarantine lifting, scores of people began queuing outside Macau’s various NAT stations for a COVID-19 test.

In response to the Zhuhai government’s lifting of its quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced yesterday afternoon that those who underwent a free nucleic acid test on Tuesday or yesterday can use their negative COVID-19 result to cross the Macau-Zhuhai border. However, from today those who intend to cross the Macau-Zhuhai border must undergo a paid test – the same arrangements as normal.

A few dozen NAT sampling stations offering free tests have been operating across the city as those in high-risk key occupations are required to undergo a nucleic acid test every day during the ongoing stabilisation period, while all those who leave home for work but are not in key occupations are required to undergo a test every three days. In addition, restaurants’ dine-in patrons are required to display a COVID-19 NAT result valid for three days.

NAT stations like convenience stores

Moreover, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement last night that a string of free NAT sampling stations across the city that have been operating since the commencement of the now subsiding outbreak will also offer paid nucleic acid tests from today, i.e., offering both free and paid tests. The new measure aims to make it more convenient for those who need to cross the Macau-Zhuhai border to undergo a paid test.

Details in English about the latest list of free NAT stations, paid NAT stations and testing stations offering both free and paid tests, which are operating under the new measure that starts today, can be checked at: https://www.gov.mo/en/news/279616/

Macau will have an increasing number of new outdoor NAT sampling stations this week. The Health Bureau has said that its ongoing project to set up more and more outdoor NAT stations aims to make it more convenient for people to undergo a test. The bureau said earlier this week that outdoor NAT stations will continue to operate for the foreseeable future providing regular nucleic acid testing “like a network of convenience stores”.

NAT fee lowered to 50 patacas from today

Meanwhile, Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), announced during yesterday evening’s daily COVID-19 press conference that from today the fee for a paid COVID-19 nucleic acid test will be further reduced to 50 patacas from 55 patacas.

The five-pataca NAT fee reduction came after the testing fee was reduced to 55 patacas from 70 patacas in early June.

The outgoing COVID-19 outbreak had resulted in 1,821 cases. As of Tuesday, Macau had had zero new local cases for five consecutive days and no community cases for 11 days in a row.

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: Tony Wong