The Macau SAR Government says it has been considering easing some COVID-19 preventive measures after Golden Week in a bid to attract more visitors to Macau.
“It is expected that a great number of mainland visitors will arrive in Macau during the Golden Week holiday,” Health Bureau officials stated Monday.
“If the situation in Macau does not show obvious changes, we will review all the current preventive measures and consider easing some of them under certain conditions.”
Exactly what such easing might look like was not disclosed, however the Bureau said the revisions would be aimed at allowing more visitos to enter Macau.
Under current restrictions, all foreign visitors and non-residential workers are prohibited from entering Macau. However, the government recently confirmed plans to hold the annual Macau Grand Prix this November, posing questions over the ability of foreign drivers to take part.
Individuals from across mainland China have been permitted to submit applications under the Individual Visit Scheme as of 23 September, joining those from Guangdong Province who have been allowed entry under IVS since 26 August.
News of a potential further easing of restrictions comes as the Public Security Police Force revealed around 34,000 people had entered and exited Macau daily between 24 and 26 September, reaching a high of 36,900 last Friday 25 September. That compares with an average 108,000 daily arrivals throughout 2019 but represents a substantial increase over 2,500 per day in July and less than 8,000 in August.
The Health Bureau revealed it has also increased its daily virus test quota to 19,000 ahead of Golden Week.
