Macau eases Covid-19 rules, allows home quarantine for arrivals, including those from Hong Kong
- Travellers can now quarantine at home or any hotel of their choice instead of at centralised isolation facilities
- Scholars say the relaxing of Covid-19 measures may provide a boost to its gambling sector
Hongkongers, alongside Taiwan and overseas travellers, can choose to isolate at their homes or hotels in Macau for five days instead of at centralised isolation facilities starting from Saturday as the casino hub further eases its Covid-19 curbs.
Scholars from Macau on Friday expressed confidence the latest relaxations to its pandemic control regime would provide a boost to its economy.
Travellers will still need to obtain a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result in the 48 hours before entering Macau, but they no longer need to book a room at a medical observation hotel. Instead, they can undergo five days of quarantine in either their home or a hotel. Arrivals will be given a red health code which will change to amber on day three and become green when they complete their isolation.
Despite the length of quarantine remaining the same, the new measure was still welcomed by some Hongkongers.
Jennifer Lam, 24, who works in the wealth management industry, said she used to visit her family in Macau three times a year. Having not seen them for nearly three years because of the border restrictions, she now planned to visit them during the Lunar New Year holiday next month.
