MACAU, August 1 - An Executive Order will enable resumption of operation, from Tuesday (2 August), of a number of leisure facilities such as beauty salons and gyms. Dine-in services at restaurants and other food and beverage establishments – that had also been banned under a previous Executive Order – will be permitted from Tuesday.

The updated rules were outlined in Executive Order No. 139/2022, published today in the Macao SAR Gazette.

Macao has recorded ‘zero’ community-originating COVID-19 cases for nine consecutive days, and all the results from the 14th round of citywide nucleic acid testing were ‘negative’. The risk for transmission of the virus is evaluated as low.

Each member of the public must wear a face mask when they go outside. Operators of restaurants, bars, beauty salons, gyms, and other leisure facilities are obliged to request their customers to provide proof of a valid ‘negative’ nucleic acid test result based on a sample collected within the prior three days.

The health authorities will publish guidelines on detailed implementation of the relevant requirements.

The new Executive Order lifted the previous closure order concerning cinemas, theatres, indoor amusement parks, game centres, cybercafes, billiard rooms, bowling centres, saunas, massage parlours, beauty salons, gyms, health clubs, karaoke lounges, bars, nightclubs, discotheques, dance parlours, cabaret venues, and swimming pools ordinarily open to the public.

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) thanks members of the public for their understanding, support and cooperation regarding the anti-epidemic measures introduced to curb the outbreak that began on 18 June. The MSAR Government calls on the public to continue to work together, in order to maintain the conditions for realising the “dynamic zero-COVID-19” epidemic-control goal.