East Asian Games Dome to be converted into testing station, red lockdown areas restrictions eased

The Macau East Asian Games Dome and the Athlete Training Development Centre in Cotai will be converted into a nucleic acid sampling and testing centre starting tomorrow, and the current 7-day quarantine period set for the red code area will be reduced to 5 days, health authorities announced today (Thursday).

Hall C of the Dome will be used as a testing site for the high-risk groups, including the close contacts and people who share a common itinerary record with the confirmed cases, while the lobby of Hall A will be adopted as a testing station for the positive cases found in mass nucleic acid testing (NAT) and people who reported positive in the self rapid antigen test (RAT).

The Nucleic Acid Test Station at Pac On Ferry Terminal will stop operation starting tomorrow 6:00am.

Meanwhile, the number of quarantine days required for people living in the red code areas will be cut to five days from the previous 7 days, and the standard for defining a red code zone is now changed to two confirmed cases found in the area from the previous one confirmed case, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre Coordinator Dr. Leong Iek Hou, indicated at the press conference this afternoon.

People inside the red code area will have to follow the requirements, namely, on-site nucleic acid tests temporarily arrange to be conducted on the 1st and 5th days; with rapid antigen tests arranged to be conducted on the 2nd, 3th and 4th days.

Aside from working staff, no one is allowed to leave the zone but is permitted to enter. Individuals in this zone should minimize their activities and collect daily supplies at the designated spot.

If no sign of community transmission is found in the red code area within the five days, the lockdown will be cancelled after the nucleic acid test results are completed with all results come out negative on the fifth day, and people living in the area will have their health code shifted to yellow code on the 6th and 7th days and undergo another nucleic acid testing on the 7th day.

The buildings with 1 confirmed case will be listed as yellow code area, and people living in the area will be required to take nucleic acid tests on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th days, with rapid antigen tests arranged to be conducted on the 3th and 5th and 6th days.

Other restrictions for those who live in the yellow code area include border exit restrictions, close health monitoring and self-health management for at least 10 days.