Macau has expanded its border restrictions with visitors from all nations other than mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan now banned from entering. Non-resident workers are an exception.
The escalation follows confirmation of Macau’s 12th case of coronavirus, with a 47-year-old Spanish businessman testing positive after arriving in Macau via Beijing on Monday.
A 13th case was subsequently confirmed late Tuesday – a 20-year-old resident who flew from London via Kuala Lumpur, arriving in Hong Kong on Monday. She entered Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge but was found to have a fever and was sent to hospital.
Macau did not register new cases for over a month from 4 February with 10 patients having recovered and been discharged, but a second round of cases imported from Europe and other countries outside China has resulted in these new restrictions.
“Several thousand students who are studying abroad might come back to Macau and we have to concentrate our medical resources on them,” said Health Bureau Director Lei Chin Ion.
Residents returning from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan will not be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine. The health authority will send residents returning from high-risk areas to appointed hotels for medical surveillance, namely Pousada Marina Infante in Cotai and the Golden Crown China Hotel next to the airport. They may also stay home to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Visitors from high-risk provinces and cities in mainland China are still required to undergo a six to eight hours medical observation once arriving in Macau.
