The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday that the government’s sixth round of its rapid antigen test (RAT) kit purchase scheme will start on Friday.

The same as previous rounds, the sixth round of the programme will run for 14 days, between Friday and February 16, during which each local resident, non-resident worker and non-local student enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions will be entitled to buy a total of 10 RAT kits at the fixed price of 40 patacas at designated outlets, i.e., four patacas per kit.

According to the statement, COVID-19 RAT kits provided by the programme’s sixth round will be sold at 55 designated pharmacies, five venues run by the Macau Women’s General Association (known as Fu Luen in Cantonese), five venues run by the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (Kai Fong), and five venues run by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen).

The statement also reminded that people can return defective RAT kits that have been purchased through the programme to public health centres, and change them for new ones.

The Macau government rolled out the programme in early December, enabling local residents, non-resident workers, and non-local students enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions to buy RAT kits used for COVID-19 self-tests from designated outlets at a discounted price.

The first round providing each eligible individual with a total of only five RAT kits, which started on December 6, was originally slated to run for 30 days until January 4. However, the government decided to end the first round on December 15 and to start the second round on December 16. The second round sold each eligible individual a total of five RAT kits during a seven-day period. Since the third round which started on December 23, the programme’s every round has run for 14 days selling each eligible individual a total of 10 RAT kits during each round’s period.

No COVID-19 fatalities for 5 days, death toll remains at 120

Meanwhile, Macau’s official COVID-19 death toll has remained unchanged at 120 as no fatalities were recorded on Monday.

Macau has not recorded COVID-19 fatalities for five consecutive days, from Thursday last week to Monday, after two fatalities were reported on Wednesday last week.

Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a separate statement yesterday that just one new patient diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease was admitted to the Health Bureau’s (SSM) isolation and treatment facilities on Monday.

According to the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 website, which was updated yesterday, Macau’s official cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 3,487, of which 3,357 had meanwhile been cured.

Daily Macau-Zhuhai commute limit via Gongbei, Qingmao checkpoints extended to Apr 30

Meanwhile, Zhuhai has extended the implementation of its measure that only allows travellers in general to commute between Macau and Zhuhai once a day via the Gongbei or Qingmao checkpoints, for three more months.

The three-month extension, which starts today, was announced in a statement by the Zhuhai authorities quoted by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) on Monday.

The three-month extension is now slated to end at 11:59 p.m. on April 30.

The measure was initially rolled out on August 9 on a temporary basis, when it was applicable to all Macau-Zhuhai checkpoints. However, since then the measure’s implementation has been extended several times, but only applicable to certain Macau-Zhuhai checkpoints.

The measure’s current version that starts today is not appliable to the Hengqin checkpoint, the Wanzai checkpoint, and the Zhuhai-Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), i.e., travellers are not subject to a limitation on the number of their commutes between the two cities per day via these three checkpoints.

According to the measure’s current version, certain special groups, such as cross-border lorry drivers and mortuary workers, are not subject to a limitation on the number of commutes between the two cities.

However, according to the measure’s current version, cross-border students are only allowed to commute between the two cities twice a day and only via the Gongbei or Qingmao checkpoints.

In addition, tour groups from the mainland can only use the Hengqin checkpoint or the HZMB Zhuhai-Macau checkpoint.

The Macau-side checkpoint of Zhuhai’s Gongbei checkpoint is the Barrier Gate checkpoint, while Qingmao is a Macau-Zhuhai joint checkpoint which is located in Macau’s Ilha Verde district. Zhuhai’s Wanzai checkpoint runs a ferry service with Macau’s Inner Harbour Ferry Terminal.

Hengqin checkpoint is a Macau-Zhuhai joint checkpoint in Zhuhai’s Hengqin Island, which connects with Cotai via the Lotus Flower Bridge.

The measure was initially rolled out on August 9 for COVID-19 prevention and control. Every time the measure had previously been extended, the Zhuhai authorities’ announcements said that the extension had been made “in line with latest COVID-19 developments”. Nevertheless, Monday’s statement said that the Zhuhai authorities have now decided to extend the measure for three more months for the ongoing renovations of a part of the Gongbei checkpoint.

Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng told reporters last month that the ongoing renovations at the Gongbei checkpoint was only slated to be completed after this year’s summer break, because of which the daily Macau-Zhuhai commute limit via the Gongbei and Qingmao checkpoints could be expected to continue until after the summer break.

This undated photo taken from the Hong Kong government’s COVID-19 special website yesterday shows two boxes of COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits.