Macau officials have announced that a 14-day ban on all civilian flights from foreign countries will end as of next Monday 24 January.
The ban, in place since 9 January, was in response to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 with Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center having prohibited civilian flights from carrying passengers to Macau from all countries and jurisdictions except mainland China.
According to a government dispatch, individuals are now able to enter Macau from foreign countries pending provision of a negative test result obtained inside the previous 48 hours. They must also undergo 21 days of mandatory quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel.
Those arriving from countries deemed extreme high-risk – Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Turkey, the United States and Zimbabwe – must provide three negative tests obtained within five days and each spaced at least 24 hours apart before completing 28 days in quarantine.
Only Macau residents are permitted to enter.
Macau’s 14-day ban on international arrivals has been even stricter than measures imposed by Hong Kong earlier this month which only prevented arrivals from eight countries – Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States. However, authorities last week also banned passengers from 153 countries from transiting through Hong Kong International Airport.
