Macao orders COVID-19 tests for people with travel history to Guangzhou, Foshan

People enter Macao through a port in Macao, south China, June 7, 2021. The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday ordered nucleic acid tests for those who have traveled to Guangzhou or Foshan, two cities in the neighboring Guangdong province that have recently reported COVID-19 cases, within 14 days. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday ordered nucleic acid tests for those who have traveled to Guangzhou or Foshan, two cities in the neighboring Guangdong province that have recently reported COVID-19 cases, within 14 days.

These people have to take the tests before 6 p.m. Monday at designated testing stations at three major local hospitals, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao said early in the day.

If not completing the tests in time, they would be required to undergo 14 days of medical observation at places designated by the health authority, according to the center.

The health codes of these people have turned red, restricting their activities in public places. Their codes would turn yellow if the test results come out negative, which requires them to take health management by themselves until after 14 days of leaving Guangzhou or Foshan, said the center.

Those who have traveled to certain districts of Guangzhou or Foshan have already been asked to take 14 days of medical observations at designated places upon entering Macao.

As of Monday, no locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases had been reported in Macao for over 400 days consecutively. So far, a total of 51 confirmed cases had been reported in the SAR.

Macao's border with the mainland is open to travelers from both sides who have negative nucleic acid test reports for COVID-19 effective within seven days.

Macao tightens border control with Guangdong over COVID-19

The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) decided on Monday to tighten border control with the neighboring Guangdong Province in the mainland, given the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Guangdong.

Starting 10 a.m. Tuesday, all those crossing the border between Macao and Guangdong have to present negative nucleic acid test reports effective within 48 hours instead of the previous seven days, according to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center of Macao.

It is possible that travelers will be required to show COVID-19 vaccination certificates when crossing the border between Macao and Guangdong in the future, the center said.

Visitors entering Macao via the airport will still be required to present a report effective within seven days, the center added.