The COVID-19 pandemic in Macau was a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case of the disease in the special administrative region of China was confirmed on 22 January 2020. The city saw nine more cases by 4 February, but no more cases until 15 March, when imported cases began to appear. Stringent government measures have included the 15-day closure of all 81 casinos in the territory in February 2020; in addition, effective 25 March, the territory disallowed connecting flights at its airport as well as entry by all non-residents (with the exception of residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan), and from 6 April, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge was closed to public transport and most other traffic.
The territory had not suffered a major outbreak of COVID-19 until June 2022, when a cluster of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases prompted the government to implement restrictions, including the closure of non-essential businesses and repeated rounds of mandatory mass testing of its entire population, in line with mainland China's Zero-COVID policy (Portuguese: Meta Dinâmica de Infecção Zero).
At a press conference on 5 January 2023, the Macau Health Bureau director Alvis Lo Iek Long stated that COVID-19 had become an endemic disease in Macau, and announced the cancellation of almost all entry curbs and measures. The statement followed a transition period that began on 8 December 2022 with the gradual easing of transmission curbs.
Macau wound down its remaining pandemic measures during 2023. The outdoor mask mandate was lifted on 27 February 2023. The "Macao Health Code" contact-tracing system was suspended on 27 March 2023 and its stored personal data deleted. Internationally, the World Health Organization declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern on 5 May 2023.
Timeline
First wave
On 22 January 2020, Macau confirmed two COVID-19 cases, that of a 52-year-old woman and of a 66-year-old man, both from Wuhan.
On the morning of 26 January, the Macau Health Bureau confirmed three additional cases: that of a 58-year-old woman arriving from Hong Kong on 23 January after travelling to Wuhan, and of two women, age 21 and 39, both arriving in Macau on 22 January via the Lotus Bridge; all three were residents of Wuhan. The Macau government has since temporarily closed all schools and universities, and has imposed border controls with temperature checks. The government also declared the closing of several venues to limit the possible spread of the virus, including several entertainment venues and planned Lunar New Year performances.
On 27 January, a 15-year-old boy, the son of one of the previously confirmed patients, was declared the sixth case of the virus in Macau. The next day, the seventh case was announced, that of a 67-year-old woman, a resident of Wuhan who travelled to Guangzhou before entering Macau through the Barrier Gate checkpoint.
On 6 March, all 10 confirmed patients with the virus had recovered. According to authorities, however, there are still 224 people in isolation, 6 in quarantine, and 58 Macau residents who have been to South Korea and Italy also isolated.
On 7 March, the Philippines announced that an airlift operation will be launched to bring home 167 Filipinos working in Macau.
Second wave
On 15 March, the city registered a new COVID-19 case imported from Portugal, the first new case in over a month. The patient is a Korean migrant worker who visited her boyfriend's family in the city of Porto.
The woman departed Macau on January 30. She flew back to Hong Kong from Dubai on March 13 on flight number EK380, taking seat 31J. She returned to Macau on the same day via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Later in the day she started experiencing coughing and went to the hospital on Sunday afternoon, March 15, with a fever.
On 17 March, two new cases were reported. The first patient, a 47-year-old male, is a Spanish national doing business in Macau; he took the SU2501 flight from Madrid to Moscow on March 15, and then the SU204 flight from Moscow to Beijing. On 16 March, he took the NX001 flight from Beijing to Macau, arriving at Macau Airport at 8:00 pm of the same day. The second patient is a 20-year-old woman, a Macau resident who was studying in the United Kingdom. The patient left London and arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport via Kuala Lumpur on the night of March 16. Upon arrival at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, she was detected to have a fever and was immediately taken to the hospital. Further testing revealed she was infected with the novel coronavirus.
On 19 March, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau announced the re-postponement of its plans to resume primary and secondary education as a response to the second wave of COVID-19 cases beginning with the 11th case. This is after the bureau's class resumption plans starting on 30 March, announced on 11 March.
On 27 March, the government of neighbouring Zhuhai announced that anyone returning or travelling from outside mainland China (including Macau and Hong Kong) would undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine with a few exceptions. This caused large crowds and chaos at the Lotus Checkpoint in Cotai, which was the only border checkpoint open at the time.
On 19 June, 300 Filipinos who were living in Macau were airlifted in an operation headed by the Philippine Consulate General in Macau.
Subsequent waves
See #2021
Response and impact
Overall, Macau was among the safest places in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, with relatively few infections and a large array of medical, social, and financial response measures.
December 2019
On 31 December 2019, the Health Bureau was notified by the National Health Commission of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan. Residents were asked to avoid excessive panic but to be conscious of personal hygiene and the hygiene of their environment. Those travelling to Wuhan were advised to avoid visiting local hospitals or having contact with sick people.
January 2020
On 1 January 2020, the Macao Health Bureau asked Macau International Airport to implement body temperature screening for all passengers on flights coming from Wuhan. Starting 5 January, the Health Bureau raised the pneumonia warning level to 3, medium risk, and on the same day established the "Interdepartmental Working Group Against Pneumonia of Unknown Cause" (應對不明原因肺炎跨部門工作小組).
Starting 10 January, people bought large quantities of masks, leading to shortages in some pharmacies. Macao Daily News reported that, according to the Health Bureau, the city's supply of masks was sufficient. On the day that the first case in Macau was confirmed, the Health Bureau announced at a press conference the imposition of rationing starting in the evening of 23 January: Macau residents and foreign workers could use Macau Resident Identity Cards and foreign worker identity cards respectively to purchase up to 10 masks per person every 10 days. Director of the Health Bureau Lei Chin Ion (李展潤) said that out of 294 pharmacies in Macau, 160 did not have masks and that out of eight mask suppliers, one had 150,000 masks remaining in stock whereas the others were out of stock.
On 21 January, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng ordered the establishment of a 24-hour "Novel Coronavirus Emergency Coordination Center", replacing the "Interdepartmental Working Group Against Pneumonia of Unknown Cause", to operate directly under the chief executive, with Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture as vice chair. In response to the city's first imported case, steps were taken, including: border control points implemented health declarations, resort workers had to wear masks, Macau residents were not encouraged to travel to Wuhan, and tour groups between Wuhan and Macau were suspended.
On 23 January, Macau confirmed its second imported case, leading the Government Tourism Office to cancel all Chinese New Year celebrations, including the Macau Chinese New Year Parade. On the same day, Ho Iat Seng announced that anyone with fever symptoms should not leave Macau. On January 23, Ho Iat Seng announced that Macau had ordered 20 million masks to sell to Macau residents and foreign workers at cost. The Correctional Services Authority announced precautions against the virus.
On 24 January, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau announced that all non-tertiary schools would extend their Chinese New Year holiday, not resuming classes until February 10 or later. The bureau also asked other private tutoring and continuing education centres to delay the resumption of classes. On the same day, the Tertiary Education Bureau also announced that ten tertiary institutions would delay classes until February 11. The Sports Bureau later announced that sporting facilities would be closed from that afternoon (24 January) at 4PM.
On 25 January, the government of Macau announced that the opening hours at the Portas do Cerco border crossing with Zhuhai would be reduced by three hours, to 6AM–10PM, until further notice. Opening hours at other border crossings with Zhuhai and Hong Kong would not be affected for the time being. On the same day, the Macau government announced that they would donate 50,000 urgently needed medical masks to the city of Zhuhai, to be used for the prevention and treatment of the virus.
On 26 January, the government announced that starting on the 27th, all non-residents who were from or had been to Hubei in the past 14 days were required to have a doctor's note certifying that they did not have the virus in order to be allowed into Macau. In addition, anyone who had been to Hubei in the past 14 days was prohibited from entering casinos. That evening the government of Macau announced that starting at 9AM on the 27th, the 1,113 travellers from Hubei who had entered Macau between 1 December and 26 January and remained in the territory would be quarantined.
On 28 January, Secretary for Administration and Justice Cheong Weng Chon (張永春) said that in accordance with the decision of the central government, endorsements for mainland Chinese visitors to Macau would be suspended.
On 30 January, the Tertiary Education Bureau announced that the resumption of classes would be delayed further, and that a schedule for resuming classes would be released one week before classes were to resume.
February 2020
On 3 February, the government of Macau announced that starting at noon, all bus and taxi passengers were required to wear masks; otherwise the driver would have the right to refuse boarding. Starting at 13:00, all light rail passengers were required to wear a mask; otherwise the driver would have the right to refuse boarding.
On 4 February 2020, all casinos in Macau were ordered to shut down for 15 days. The following facilities were also required to close: cinemas, theatres, indoor amusement parks, arcades, internet cafes, pool halls, bowling alleys, steam baths, massage parlours, beauty salons, gyms, health clubs, bars, karaoke bars, nightclubs, discos, and dance clubs.
On 7 February, the government of Macau announced that government workers were to stay home from the 8th to the 16th, except for emergency services.
On 11 February, at the daily press conference, the government announced the third face mask safeguarding plan and provided masks for children for the first time, but due to limited quantities, each child was only permitted to buy five. The government also announced that testing would begin for groups at high risk of infection, and that the highest-risk group was tour bus drivers, of which 103 were to be tested that day.
On 13 February the government announced economic relief measures, including: (1) reduction of taxes and fees to relieve the burden on businesses and residents; (2) assistance to small and medium enterprises and interest subsidies, to support the continued existence of enterprises; (3) measures to enhance people's livelihoods and support vulnerable families; (4) technical training, providing work, and protecting wages; (5) putting out electronic coupons to accelerate economic recovery. The government also announced that it would cooperate with a local research team in Macau to establish production lines in the mainland and safeguard the supply of face masks.
On 14 February, the government announced that, after balancing epidemic prevention with citizens' need for public services, starting 17 February, basic public services would be restored.
On 17 February, the government announced that effective 20 February, casinos could reopen but other entertainment facilities such as cinemas and bars were to remain closed. The government also announced that migrant workers entering Macau who had been to mainland China in the past 14 days would need to undergo 14 days of medical observation at a designated location in Zhuhai. At a press conference, the Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong (李偉農) mentioned that when casinos reopened, they would have to follow government measures in order to protect employee and guest safety. If casinos were unable to prepare adequately for reopening, they could apply to delay reopening for up to 30 days.
On 18 February, due to the global face mask shortage, the government began providing masks with ties instead of ear straps.
On 19 February, the government announced that effective 20 February, passengers coming from COVID-19 hotspots would need to undergo medical checks upon entering Macau. Medical checks might also be conducted on Macau residents who made multiple trips back and forth to Zhuhai every day. It was also announced that some parks would reopen and government broadcasts would be adjusted.