People entering from Zhuhai, a city in neighbouring Guangdong province that borders Macau and is the primary overland checkpoint for arrivals, must present a negative Covid test result obtained within the past 24 hours.

In an announcement, Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre reduced the time limit in which visitors must receive a negative test result certificate from 48 hours to 24.

Officials in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai announced the detection of at least seven cases of the Omicron variant on Friday 14 January, leading them to suspend public bus routes.

This prompted Macau to tighten its entry requirements. The gambling hub is located on a small peninsula and directly abuts Zhuhai to its north.

Alongside its new 24-hour testing requirement, Macau also imposed a quarantine for arrivals from various places within mainland China that have recently experienced outbreaks.

From 17 January, travellers departing for Macau from two communities in the Yuhang district of Hangzhou city, one from the Haidan district of Beijing and several communities in Zhuhai’s Nanping town will face a maximum of 14 days under quarantine.

In a statement, Macau’s health officials said all arrivals from the specified locations must “at the discretion of the health authorities, undergo medical observation at a designated venue until 14 days after their departure from the concerned area(s), but for a minimum period of 7 days.”

It warned that people who break this rule “may be subject to mandatory isolation in addition to corresponding criminal liabilities in accordance with the law.”

Mainland China is currently the only location from which Macau permits mostly quarantine-free entry. However, the country is currently battling a spate of localised outbreaks ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.