Macau enforces international air travel ban to fight coronavirus
Macau's government has reportedly announced a two-week ban on all international air arrivals in response to threats posed by the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
According to a report by Inside Asian Gaming, the measures by the COVID-19 Response Coordination Center are set to take effect Sunday morning and prohibit Macau International Airport from accepting travelers from countries other than China. Sources added that Hong Kong's nearby jurisdictions will enforce similar bans on arrivals from eight countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Pakistan, Canada, France, the Philippines, India and the United States, while also being implemented until midnight .
Macau has recorded just 79 coronavirus cases containing the potentially deadly Delta and Omicron variants , even though it is home to nearly 683,000 people. But two of those infections were reportedly recorded only in the past few days and were attributed to holidaymakers staying in isolated hotels after arriving from far-flung destinations like Singapore and Thailand.
Reports say the Macau government is increasingly concerned about the rising rate of infections globally caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant of the disease, even though no deaths have yet been recorded related to the coronavirus. A new coronavirus response and coordination center at a former Portuguese residence reportedly noted that a looming ban on foreign air arrivals would help protect the local population and prevent the new variant from spreading across southern China.
Inside Asian Gaming reports Macau's move comes after the central Chinese city of Xi'an found itself in an extended lockdown after a recent bulk testing blitz recorded around 1,800 coronavirus cases. However, air travelers from the metropolis of about 13 million residents were already reportedly obliged to undergo a two-week quarantine with people from several other mainland municipalities before being allowed into Macau.
The Guardian newspaper reported that Xi'an's coronavirus outbreak ultimately dates back to flights arriving from Pakistan last month, leading the central government to impose the largest local lockdown since quarantining 11 million Wuhan residents .