Macau plans to continue phased opening of borders

Visitors from more countries will be allowed to enter Macau in phases.

Macau.- After Macau’s decision to reopen its borders to visitors from 41 countries, Wong Weng Man, acting chief of the Health Promotion Division of the Health Bureau has said the list will slowly be expanded in phases to cover visitors of other nationalities. He said Macau would reopen gradually to travellers from countries that meet health authorities’ criteria.

For now, visitors will still need to complete a seven-day quarantine in a designated hotel before entering the community. They must test negative for Covid-19 on arrival to be eligible for quarantine, otherwise, they will be placed in a medical facility.

After the quarantine period ends, visitors must conduct “self-management” of their health for three days and watch for Covid-19-like symptoms. Nationals from non-listed countries or regions may enter if they meet certain requirements, such as being relatives of Macau residents or holding a work permit. They must apply to the Macau authorities for an entry exemption.

In August, Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) was up 450 per cent in August, from MOP398m (US$49.2m) to MOP2.19bn (US$270.8m). Tourism numbers also improved sequentially after July, which had been affected by a 12-day casino closure.

Macau’s GGR for the first eight months of 2022 combined stands at MOP28.86bn (US$3.58bn), down 53.4 per cent year-on-year.