The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) announced in a statement yesterday that starting today its subsidised childcare centres, daycare for the elderly, and skills training for people with disabilities resume their services for users in need, depending on the condition of the respective facility.
According to the statement, the operating capacity from today to next Monday must be only 50 percent of the maximum capacity, while the service quota can increase to 75 percent of the original quota from next Tuesday to Friday. The statement added that service users, facility employees and other visitors will be required to present their proof of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) result and a valid negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result taken within three days when entering the facilities.
The statement said that the current closed-loop management for the city’s 36 elderly nursing homes, rehabilitation and detoxification facilities will be maintained, adding that service users and staff members who do not have living quarters in Macau will continue to stay inside the facilities, while those residing in the city can choose to work under the closed-loop management or not from today. However, the statement noted, those who choose to leave the facilities are required to show their negative RAT result on the same day of work and a valid negative NAT result within 24 hours.
The statement underlined that in accordance with the government’s COVID-19 prevention and control measures, the facilities will continue to suspend visits and maintain contact-free delivery of materials.
Moreover, emergency and support services, including the Life Hotline, Ping On Tong, home care, community psychiatric rehabilitation and sign language interpreters, maintain normal operations, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, the operations of other daycare and community service facilities will remain suspended from today through next Monday, during this week’s “stabilisation period”, the statement said, adding that the facilities will resume their normal operations from next Tuesday to Friday, unless there are special circumstances.
