Macau's tally from its current COVID-19 outbreak has reached 170, up by 60 from yesterday, Macau Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long announced at the daily press conference of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre this afternoon.
Lo said that 41 of them were confirmed cases, while the remainder were asymptomatic cases.
The first case of the current outbreak was confirmed by the Health Bureau (SSM) last Saturday night, after which the local government imposed a "state of immediate prevention" on the special administrative region on Sunday. A 48-hour mandatory mass nucleic acid testing (NAT) drive ended at 12 p.m. on Tuesday. A second citywide testing drive began at 9 a.m. yesterday and is slated to end at midnight today.
As of 6 p.m. today, Macau's total tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases since January 2020 stood at 115, while there were 280 asymptomatic cases, according to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre.
Macau confirmed its first novel coronavirus case on January 22, 2020. No COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Macau.
Meanwhile, according to an executive order all entertainment and recreation venues - with the exception of casinos - have been closed since 5 p.m. yesterday. The venues comprise cinemas, theatres, enclosed entertainment parks, amusement arcades, cybercafes, snooker halls, bowling alleys, saunas, massage parlours, beauty parlours, gyms, health clubs, karaoke bars, nightclubs, discotheques, ballrooms, cabarets, barber shops, hair salons, and public swimming pools.
According to the order, dine-in services have also been prohibited from 5 p.m. today. However, restaurants and other eateries are allowed to sell takeaways.
