All travellers from overseas countries will be prohibited from entering Macao, starting after the stroke of midnight on Wednesday (18 March).

The ban will not cover Macao residents and those people registered with the city’s authorities as non-resident workers. Residents of mainland China, of Hong Kong and of Taiwan will be exempted from the new measure.

The measure was set out in Executive Order No. 72/2020 published in today’s Macao SAR Gazette. It has been issued – in accordance with the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases – in view of developments regarding the global spread of COVID-19 and in order to prevent infection being imported to Macao from overseas countries.

According to the Executive Order, the health authorities have the power to exempt residents of countries outside China from compliance with the new measure under certain circumstances. That would apply in matters serving the public interest, particularly those relating to disease prevention and control, and emergency rescue. Such exemption could be granted also with a view to ensuring proper operation of public services in the community and of meeting the basic day-to-day needs of the Macao public.