The Macau government will lower the current testing fee of 180 patacas to 120 patacas for its nucleic acid testing (NAT) scheme from Wednesday next week, its Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday.

The statement said that from today residents can make an appointment to undergo their nucleic acid tests from Wednesday next week. The statement reminded that those who have made an appointment to undergo their tests before Wednesday next week will still have to pay the current testing fee of 180 patacas.

The statement said that if those who have made an appointment to undergo their tests before Wednesday next week want to reschedule their tests – so that they will only have to pay the new testing fee of 120 patacas, they can change the date using the online appointment system if they have already paid the fee of 180 patacas, in which case they can apply for the refund of the 60-pataca difference. If they have still not paid the fee of 180 patacas, they will have to cancel their appointment first before making a new appointment, the statement said, in which case the government “cannot guarantee that places will still be available for them when they make a new appointment”.

Residents who plan to visit Guangdong have to make an appointment online to be tested for COVID-19 under the Macau government’s NAT scheme so that they can present a NAT certificate confirming that they have tested negative for COVID-19 when crossing the Macau-Zhuhai border.

The Macau government launched its NAT scheme on May 7 when its first and main testing station at the Taipa Ferry Terminal in Pac On started operating. The Health Bureau (SSM) has commissioned a third-party testing institution – Kuok Kim (Macau) Hygiene Examination Company Limited – to carry out COVID-19 testing there.

A new testing station for the government’s NAT scheme, which is located at the Macau Forum complex in Zape, came into operation last month. The new Macau Forum testing station is temporarily being operated by the Health Bureau before it will commission a third-party testing institution to carry out COVID-19 testing there. The government has not said whether the same testing institution – Kuok Kim – or a new one will carry out the COVID-19 testing.

Residents queue outside the Macau Forum nucleic acid testing (NAT) station in Zape last month. Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng