Macao has imposed stricter health requirements on people arriving to the city, except those coming from the mainland or Taiwan. From 10pm on Monday (21 December), people visiting Macao from most locations will be required to undergo a 21-day medical observation upon arrival versus the previously mandated 14 days.

Those who have been to ‘medium-risk’ cities on the mainland, or to Taiwan, in the 14 days immediately prior to arriving in Macao, will still be subject to 14 days of medical observation in Macao.

The latest steps were announced during an urgent press conference, held at 9pm on Monday, by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre.

The new measures were in light of the latest COVID-19 developments overseas, especially concerning reports of a new strain in the United Kingdom of the coronavirus linked to COVID-19. The Macao SAR Government also took into account reports in other places regarding patients being confirmed with COVID-19 infection, even after completing an initial 14-day period of medical observation.

Under the updated rules, those who are currently undergoing medical observation in Macao, or those who arrive in Macao after the new rules become effective, are required to observe 21 days of medical observation.

Those who have completed a 14-day medical observation in Macao but have not yet been in the city for an aggregate of 21 days, will be required to observe a seven-day period of health self-management in the place in which they are staying. Their self-certification under Macao’s Health Code system will generate a ‘yellow’ result until such time as a nucleic acid test taken on the 20th day from initial arrival in the city shows a negative result for infection.

Those wishing to leave Macao during the seven-day health self-management period will be required to take a nucleic acid test. Only with a negative infection result will they be able to leave Macao, and then only within a 48-hour period from the issuance of the test result. 

Under current rules, people from ‘low risk’ cities in mainland China may enter Macao quarantine-free, as long as they provide a negative COVID-19 infection certificate and meet other requirements.

Foreigners and residents of mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan who have visited an overseas country in the 14 days before arriving Macao, are generally prohibited from entering Macao. They may apply to the authorities for exemption.

Anyone granted approval for entry will still be obliged to observe certain health-monitoring requirements as applicable.

People that might be considered eligible to enter Macao amid the pandemic include: foreigners wishing to visit Macao for matters serving Macao’s public interest, particularly issues related to disease prevention and control, and emergency rescue; people ensuring the proper operation of public services in the community; and people working to meet the basic day-to-day needs of the Macao public.

Foreigners eligible for consideration may include those arriving via the mainland and who have stayed on the mainland for 14 days or more immediately prior to their planned arrival in Macao. Such people may apply to the authorities for entry on the following grounds:

- they are either a spouse or child of a Macao ID holder;

- they have either registered with the authorities as a non-resident worker, or hold a permit to enter Macao for work purposes, or they are a family member of such a worker, and have either obtained the relevant authorisation or meet the eligibility requirements to stay in Macao;

- they have obtained authorisation to stay in Macao;

- they are students registered to local higher education institutions; or

- they plan to visit Macao for an important business event; or for academic or professional activities.

As of Monday, Macao had not recorded any new local COVID-19 case for 267 consecutive days.

There has been a total of 46 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Macao since the start of the pandemic and all of them have been released from medical care. Of the aggregate, 44 were classified as imported cases and two were associated with imported cases.

Macao has had zero COVID-19-related deaths and zero infections among medical staff.