After careful consideration of various pandemic-related risks and relevant factors, the SAR Government has announced that starting from 9 am on July 18, elderly persons and persons with disabilities who have mobility problems and require long-term home care may, through their caregivers, apply for exemption from the city-wide nucleic acid test via the online platform at https://iasapp4.ias.gov.mo/exempt-apply. 

The first category of exempted persons is seniors, who must meet all the following criteria: born on or before December 31, 1942 (including residents and non-residents of Macao; age is defined according to the date of birth on the identity document); reduced mobility, i.e. unable toleave home unless supported or assisted by others in the use of mobility aids throughout the journey; in need of long-term care and assistance from others in daily activities, such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting and/or moving their body.

The second category of exempted persons is people with disabilities, who must meet all the following criteria: holders of a valid Registration Card for Disability Assessment issued by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS); reduced mobility, i.e. unable to leave home unless supported or assisted by others in the use of mobility aids throughout the journey; in need of long-term care and assistance from others in daily activities, such as eating, dressing, bathing, toileting and/or moving their body.

Both types of exempted persons must be declared by their caregivers through the “Online Declaration System of Exemption from City-wide COVID-19 Testing for Seniors and People with Disability” at https://iasapp4.ias.gov.mo/exempt-apply from July 18 onwards. If the information is complete, a successful return receipt will be issued immediately and the declarant (i.e. the caregiver) should take a screenshot for later use. The declarant must declare that the person concerned has to stay at home and requires long-term care from another person due to mobility problems, and that they meet all the conditions for exemption from the city-wide nucleic acid test. The declarant should also declare that they are aware that during the “relatively static state” ordered by the Chief Executive, the above-mentioned person should remain at his/her current residence and not go out. The information provided by the declarant must be true and the declarant will be held liable for failure to do so. The declarant can collect epidemic prevention materials for the exempted person after completing their own test at the city-wide nucleic acid testing stations; by presenting the screenshot of the return receipt, the original identity document and screenshot of the health code of the exempted person.