NEWS GOV-MO: Multiple and strict disinfection steps for goods imported to Macao aboard flights

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Multiple and strict disinfection steps for goods imported to Macao aboard flights

Government Information Bureau

2022-03-30 23:15

A media tour on disinfection-on-arrival procedures for goods imported to the city by flights to Macau International Airport.
As requested by the Health Bureau and the Civil Aviation Authority, goods imported direct by air to Macao undergo multiple strict disinfection steps – according to the COVID-19 risk level at their place of origin – and it is conducted on-site at Macau International Airport.
The cargo hold of each flight to Macao is disinfected twice while the aircraft is on the tarmac, and the goods inside are then transported to a warehouse for unpacking and further disinfection.

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Goods directly imported to Macao by air, as well as baggage of passengers on flights, undergo multiple strict disinfection steps upon arrival at Macau International Airport, in line with the COVID-19 risk level at their place of origin. This is in order to minimise the risk of importing COVID-19 to the city.

In view of epidemic-related situations in neighbouring cities, the Government has directed the operators of aviation sector to follow closely the guidelines issued by the Health Bureau and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao, regarding the handling of goods from outside.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao, along with the Macau International Airport Co. Ltd, held today a tour at the airport for members of the media, in order to give them a better understanding of on-arrival disinfection procedures there.

Imported goods and items undergo multiple steps toward disinfection. While each aircraft inbound to Macao is on the tarmac, the cargo hold is disinfected, and the doors of such section of the aircraft are kept closed for 10 minutes afterwards. When that time is up, goods are offloaded from the cargo compartment, and there is then another round of disinfection.

Besides overall disinfection of goods, the warehouse for storing imported goods has been divided into different zones, in order to distinguish sterilised goods from those still to be unpacked. Sterilised goods bear a special sticker and are placed in a distinct area. Also, the area of airport tarmac used to offload goods is sterilised after use. The airport’s disinfection team is equipped with proper personal protective gear.

The strategy adopted by the country and by Macao, i.e., “prevent the coronavirus from re-entering to cause a new epidemic”, has been the basis for anti-epidemic policies for the local aviation sector, said a Civil Aviation Authority representative. The Authority was monitoring closely epidemic-related developments and asked the aviation sector to follow stringently relevant guidelines regarding disinfection of imported goods, stated the representative.