Increase in COVID Infections Causes Macau into Stricter Measures

In response to growing concerns regarding an upsurge in coronavirus cases across mainland China, and indeed several local reports of infections, government officials in Macau have adjusted their border policy. From yesterday afternoon, any visitors hoping to enter the special administrative region would need to present a ‘negative’ COVID-19 test certificate, taking within the proceeding 24-hour period – prior to Wednesday, the acceptable duration between test and travel was 48 hours.

The new ruling will be applied for at least seven days, and was announced by a collaborative health body entitled, ‘Joint Prevention & Control Mechanism between Zhuhai and Macau’. Indeed, the reason for the organization’s involvement hinges on the volume of visitor traffic between Macau and Guangdong, the adjacent mainland province where Zhuhai is situated. Given the scale of cross-border travel in this area, authorities decided to take decisive action, and attempt to deliver ‘epidemic control’.

It’s understood that one of the fresh outbreaks took place at an underground market in Gongbei, a location which Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Co-ordination Centre confirmed had been visited by a number of Macanese residents. Indeed, the health authority suggested it was likely a ‘transmission chain’ had formulated between the two regions, further emphasizing why tighter travel arrangements have been implemented.

The latest development in Macau’s pandemic journey comes a mere 24 hours after the territory’s legislative assembly doubled-down on its commitment to Beijing’s zero-COVID policy, a stifling approach which has seen the revenues of Macau’s six casino operators, whose continued success is critical to the economic prosperity of the city-state, tumble significantly.