Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said Thursday that the government will first look to introduce “10+7” mandatory quarantine measures for returning residents to ease the current “14+7” situation, with the amended quarantine period already in planning.
This comes after the Chief Executive of Macau, Ho Iat Seng, revealed earlier this week that quarantine could be reduced to either “10+7” days or “7+7” days in the coming months. However, he also noted, “We still need to discuss with the relevant mainland departments and hope that it can be implemented in July or August.”
At a press conference on Thursday, Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), said the government would first introduce “10+7” measures, with a specific plan to be announced as soon as possible.
Under a “10+7” program, arrivals would be required to enter hotel quarantine for 10 days before undergoing a further 7 days of home health surveillance or home isolation.
“The government will make reference to the situation in the mainland, but the focus is to meet the epidemic prevention needs of Macau and reduce the impact on the public,” Leong said.
He added, “The government is mainly considering the ‘10+7’ measures, there is no plan to launch ‘7+7’.”
There has also been no word on any potential easing of border restrictions between Macau and Hong Kong, despite many rumors to the contrary over the past 12 months.
