Macau to drop COVID tests for arriving passengers

International arrivals to Macau, including from Hong Kong and Taiwan, will no longer need to undergo a nucleic acid test after landing and will be able to move freely, the government said on Thursday, the biggest steps yet to relax stringent COVID measures. However, travellers from overseas will still be required to present a negative nucleic acid test certificate for entry, the government said.

International arrivals to Macau, including from Hong Kong and Taiwan, will no longer need to undergo a nucleic acid test after landing and will be able to move freely, the government said on Thursday, the biggest steps yet to relax stringent COVID measures.

However, travellers from overseas will still be required to present a negative nucleic acid test certificate for entry, the government said. The new requirements will be effective from Dec. 23.

Earlier this week, Macau cancelled its regulations on risk zones in mainland China. Visitor arrivals to the world's biggest gambling hub dropped by 36.8% on the month and 54.3% year-on-year to 366,511 in November, according to the Macau Statistics Bureau.