Addressing yesterday’s weekly press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Tai Wa Hou, the coordinator of the Health Bureau’s (SSM) COVID-19 vaccination programme, announced that all those who have had the second of their government-provided COVID-19 jabs will be given a card displaying the details of their COVID-19 inoculation records.
According to Tai, they will be given the “vaccination record card” right after getting the second jab at the respective inoculation facility.
Tai pointed out that yesterday was the first day for those who had received their first jab at the start of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive for all local residents – February 22 – to get their second jab.
Both types of COVID-19 vaccines currently available in Macau, China’s Sinopharm inactivated vaccine and Germany’s BioNTech mRNA vaccine, require two jabs for people to develop immunity.
The Macau government has said that normally people will need to have the second jab four weeks after being given their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccination. The government has also said that most of those who have had the two jabs will develop COVID-19 immunity two weeks thereafter.
According to Tai, the COVID-19 vaccination record card displays its holder’s name and other personal information, the type of vaccine they have been given and its manufacturer, and the dates when they had the two jabs. All information is displayed in Macau’s two official languages – Chinese and Portuguese, as well as English. The card displays a QR code for its holder and others to scan so that they can check the details of the COVID vaccination record on digital devices.
Could be a ‘vaccine passport’
Tai also said that the Macau government’s COVID-19 vaccination record cards could be used as a “vaccine passport” for entry into other jurisdictions which in the future could possibly require visitors to present such a document for them to be able to enter that country or region. “The card could have the function [like a vaccine passport],” Tai said.
Tai said that in addition to the vaccination record card, those who have had the two COVID-19 shots will also be issued a vaccination record certificate. Tai said that the card and the certificate display the same information, but the card allows people to carry it with them – like an ID card.
According to Tai, people can make an appointment to get their second jab 28 days after their first jab at the earliest.
Tai said that while people can make an appointment to get their second jab more than 28 days after their first shot, he urged people not to have their second jab too long after the 28-day interval.
SMS reminder for 2nd jab
Tai also said that during the 30-minute observation period after a person has had their first jab at an inoculation facility, medical workers will remind them to make an appointment to get their second jab. The person will receive an SMS message 21 days after their first jab reminding him or her to make an appointment for their second jab, Tai said.
Anyone who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Macau has to stay put at the inoculation facility for 30 minutes, as normally people who could an acute adverse event will come down with the symptoms within 30 minutes of getting the jab.
Tai said that a person will receive an SMS message reminding him or her to make an appointment for their second jab if they still have not had their second shot five days after the earliest day for their second jab – 28 days after their first jab.
The government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive started on February 9 with Sinopharm jabs covering those in priority groups such as those working on the frontline against COVID-19 and those working in occupations that are subject to a high COVID-19 risk. Inoculations for all local residents started on February 22. The inoculations with BioNTech mRNA vaccines started on March 3.
The Health Bureau updated the Macau Health Code system on March 9, according to which the Macau Health Code of those who have had their two jabs of the government’s COVID-19 vaccine will display a link indicating that they have had the two shots. By clicking the link, the health code will display the details of their COVID-19 vaccination records. March 9 was the earliest day for those who had been given their first jab on the first day of the launch of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme – February 9 – to get their second jab.
The government’s COVID-19 inoculations for non-resident workers started on March 10.
Macau’s COVID-19 vaccinations are currently carried out at two inoculation facilities at the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, eight public health centres and two public health stations. The 12 COVID-19 vaccination facilities run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, where 5,000 places for COVID-19 vaccinations are available per day, 1,000 of which are allocated to non-resident workers.
192 million ‘government masks’ sold
Meanwhile, the 28th round of the government’s facemask purchase scheme will start on Sunday. The facemasks sold under the scheme are colloquially known as “government masks”.
Under the facemask purchase scheme, each local resident, non-resident worker and non-local student enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions are entitled to buy 30 facemasks at the fixed price of 24 patacas every 30 days at designated outlets upon presentation of their original Macau ID card, work permit or student card.
Under the 30-day scheme, parents or legal guardians are entitled to buy 30 facemasks for each child aged between three and eight.
There will be 83 outlets for the upcoming round of the scheme which runs until April 26, comprising 57 designated pharmacies, eight health centres in Macau and Taipa and two health stations in Coloane run by the Health Bureau, as well as 16 community association venues.
According to the press conference, 192 million facemasks have been sold under the government’s facemask purchase scheme since its launch in January last year.
Macau’s population stood at 683,100 at the end of last year comprising residents, non-resident workers and non-local students, according to the latest available data from the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC).
Macau has not recorded a new COVID-19 case for 44 days, while no local case has been confirmed in 358 days.
Macau has recorded 48 COVID-19 cases since January 22 last year, 46 of which have been classified as imported, while two cases have been classified as “connected to imported cases”. Among the 48 patients, 47 have been cured and discharged from hospital, and no fatalities have been reported in Macau.
Why 47th patient still not discharged
Meanwhile, Tai also said that the 47th COVID-19 patient, a 43-year-old woman who was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient two months ago, has still not been discharged as she still tested positive for the novel coronavirus in three nucleic acid tests (NATs) earlier this month via nasopharyngeal swabs, before she tested negative for the first time on Sunday. Tai noted that a COVID-19 patient can only be discharged and then go into his or her recovery period isolation if he or she tests negative in two consecutive nucleic acid tests which are taken in an interval of at least 48 hours.
The woman, who was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on January 22, was among the 109 passengers – all Macau residents – returning to Macau on the previous day on two Air Macau flights from Tokyo. Tai said yesterday that the 43-year-old woman is a Filipina who holds a Macau ID card.
Tai Wa Hou, the coordinator of the Health Bureau’s (SSM) COVID-19 vaccination programme, shows the media the front of his COVID-19 vaccination record card during yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
This picture released by the Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday shows a specimen of the front and back sides of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination record card.
