Macau's Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre confirmed the city's 72nd COVID-19 case this morning, while it announced at a press conference this afternoon the launch at 9 p.m. of the 3rd citywide nucleic acid testing (NAT) campaign.
The government announced this morning also the immediate suspension of all in-class teaching (which was scheduled to restart this morning after a weeklong suspension because of a COVID-19 Delta variant cluster threat), while the local and Zhuhai governments suspended this morning a plan to lift a 14-day quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau in the adjacent mainland city (which was scheduled to begin at noon today).
The string of novel coronavirus prevention and control measures were announced after the local government confirmed this morning the special administrative region's 72nd COVID-19 case.
A statement by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre identified the latest COVID-19 patient as a 46-year-old non-resident renovation worker from Zhuhai. The statement pointed out that the patient commutes daily between Macau and Zhuhai, and that he rides a motorcycle in Macau.
He returned to Macau on September 26 and had stayed at the Grand Emperor, Sands and Victoria hotels since then. He tested negative for COVID-19 on September 28 and 30, but tested positive for the novel coronavirus today.
The statement underlined that the patient was vaccinated twice against COVID-19 in Macau, on April 17 and June 10. The statement said that the source of his infection was still under investigation.
According to the statement, the patient is asymptomatic. He is undergoing isolation treatment at the Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane.
According to the centre the mass testing drive will start at 9 p.m. today. It will be the third. The first in August and the second last month only produced negative results. While the first two rounds were completed within 72 hours, this time the government hopes to finish it within 48 hours, according to this afternoon's press conference. Officially, however, the testing drive will run from 9 p.m. today to 9 p.m. on Thursday. The mandatory testing drive is free of charge.
The Macau government urged people not to travel to Zhuhai for the time being, considering that a plan announced yesterday which would have allowed travellers who have been vaccinated at least once against COVID-19 and have tested negative for the virus within 48 hours before their intended border crossing to be exempted from Zhuhai's mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival, has been suspended in the wake of the latest developments on the virus front.
Consequently, arrivals in Zhuhai from Macau continue to be required to undergo 14-day mandatory quarantine there.
This morning, the government also suspended a plan to reopen primary and secondary schools from today.
