Macau has announced a two-week ban on any inbound passenger flights from outside of China after three coronavirus cases were found in passengers arriving from overseas. Like mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have maintained some of the world's harshest measures throughout the pandemic -- including virtually closed borders, weeks-long quarantines, targeted lockdowns and mass testing. Macau's Health Bureau announced Wednesday it will prohibit "civil aircraft from carrying passengers from places outside China to Macau" for two weeks starting midnight on Sunday. Health officials on Wednesday identified three imported asymptomatic cases in Macau, related to travelers from the United Kingdom and the Philippines. The former Portuguese colony turned Chinese gambling hub has only recorded 79 confirmed coronavirus cases -- using the mainland's tallying method that excludes asymptomatic patients -- and no deaths.

Source: The Standard January 06, 2022 02:56 UTC