3rd citywide nucleic acid tests underway
Macau yesterday confirmed three new COVID-19 cases whose sources of infection were still unknown last night, bringing the city’s total number of novel coronavirus cases to 74 and triggering a three-day mass nucleic acid testing (NAT) drive for the third time, which started at 9 p.m. yesterday.
The three latest COVID-19 patients are two male mainlanders and a Vietnamese man who renovated the same flat. The Health Bureau confirmed the first patient yesterday morning after he tested positive for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test (NAT) that he underwent at Kiang Wu Hospital’s regular NAT station the day before, while the other two patients were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease last night after having been classified as having been in close contact with the first patient.
The three latest COVID-19 patients are Macau’s 72nd, 73rd and 74th cases. The first two patients were fully (twice) inoculated against the novel coronavirus in Macau, while the third patient has received his first COVID-19 jab. All are non-resident workers employed in Macau. All of them are asymptomatic and undergoing isolation treatment at the Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane.
In response, the government has imposed lockdowns on where the three new patients lived and worked until their isolation treatment yesterday, including Grand Emperor Hotel in the city centre.
Police officers and health workers last night lock down Son Lei Building in Iao Hon district where Macau’s 73rd COVID-19 patient usually lives. Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
Stay at home!
During yesterday regular press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long strongly urged residents to stay at home unless necessary due to a potential COVID-19 community transmission risk.
After the Macau government confirmed the first new COVID-19 case yesterday morning, the Zhuhai government suspended a plan to lift its 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement for arrivals from Macau, which was originally scheduled to begin at noon yesterday. The plan, which was announced on Sunday, would have allowed travellers who have received at least one COVID-19 jab and have tested negative for the novel coronavirus within 48 hours before their intended border crossing to be exempted from Zhuhai’s 14-day quarantine requirement. Consequently, those arriving in Zhuhai from Macau continue to be required to undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine there.
Meanwhile, the Macau government yesterday suspended its plan to resume classes in schools and in-class teaching at higher education institutions, which was initially scheduled to restart yesterday morning.
The Macau government suspended all in-class teaching in the whole education sector around a week ago following the confirmation of a COVID-19 Delta variant cluster involving two medical observation quarantine hotels in front of the local airport. The quarantine hotel security staff cluster caused Zhuhai to impose the 14-day mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Macau.
41 stations for mass NAT drive
The ongoing third round of mandatory mass NAT programme, which is slated to end at 9 p.m. on Thursday, has 41 testing stations, comprising 31 general stations, three self-paid stations and seven special care stations.
All local residents and people staying in Macau are required to get the test, which is free of charge.
Macau’s first mass NAT drive in August and the second one last month only produced negative results.
Different from the first two citywide NAT drives, those who underwent a test within 24 hours prior to the commencement of the mass testing are not exempted from the mass NAT programme.
This time, the government has reduced the number of testing stations to 41 from 52 as it has cancelled 11 self-paid stations, most of which were located in casino-hotel resorts.
Prior booking is required for both general testing stations and self-paid testing stations.
The seven special care testing stations provide walk-in tests for people in need of special care who are unable to make a prior booking, and they can, if needed, be accompanied by one person.
Due to the ongoing mass NAT drive, the government suspended its COVID-19 vaccination drive before the start of the citywide testing drive.During yesterday’s press conference, Lo urged residents to participate in the mass NAT drive within the first 48 hours of the programme, even though the drive is scheduled to last 72 hours.
All 3 patients renovation workers
According to a string of statements by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre yesterday, the 72nd COVID-19 patient is a 46-year-old non-resident renovation worker from Zhuhai. Before September 26 (Sunday last week) – when the Zhuhai authorities imposed the 14-day mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Macau, the patient commuted daily between Macau and Zhuhai, and rode a motorcycle in Macau.
According to the centre, the patient returned to Macau on September 26 and had stayed at the Grand Emperor, Sands Macao and Victoria hotels since then. He tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday and Thursday last week, but tested positive for the novel coronavirus yesterday.
The patient was inoculated twice against COVID-19 in Macau with China’s Sinopharm vaccine on April 17 and June 10. The centre said that the source of his infection was still under investigation.
According to the centre, the patient worked on a renovation project in a flat in Kam Do Lei Fa Yun building (金多利花園) in Rua de Pedro Coutinho (高地烏街) on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday last week.
The 73rd novel coronavirus patient, according to the centre, is a 52-year-old non-resident renovation worker from the mainland, a colleague of the 72nd patient.
According to the centre, the 73rd patient lived in Son Lei Building (順利樓) in Iao Hon district until his isolation treatment yesterday. He tested negative for COVID-19 on Sunday and Thursday last week. After having been classified by the centre as a “close contact” of the 72nd patient, he underwent a nucleic acid test (NAT) yesterday which came up with a positive result.
The patient was vaccinated twice against COVID-19 in Macau with the Sinopharm vaccine on July 3 and August 3. The source of his infection is still under investigation, according to the centre.
The 74th COVID-19 patient, according to the centre, is a 40-year-old Vietnamese renovation worker. The patient lived in Bairro das Missões (平民村) in Rua de S. Francisco Xavier (聖方濟各街) in Coloane until his isolation treatment yesterday.
According to the centre, the Vietnamese, who worked on the same renovation project as the 72nd and 73rd patients, tested negative for COVID-19 on September 25. After having been classified by the centre as a “close contact” of the 73rd patient, he underwent a nucleic acid test yesterday which came up with a positive result.
The patient received his first Sinopharm jab in Macau on September 15. The source of his infection was still under investigation, the centre said.
The locked-down buildings due to the three latest COVID-19 cases are covered by so-called red code zones, namely Kam Do Lei Fa Yun building (金多利花園) in Rua de Pedro Coutinho (高地烏街), Grand Emperor Hotel in Avenida Comercial de Macau (澳門商業大馬路) in Nam Van district, Victoria Hotel in Estrada do Arco (拱形馬路 / 關閘橫路) near Iao Hon district, Son Lei Building (順利樓) in Iao Hon district, and Bairro das Missões (平民村) in Rua de S. Francisco Xavier (聖方濟各街) in Coloane.
Those living in the red code zones are barred from leaving their homes during the lockdown period. They are required to be tested for COVID-19 every day during the period.
The government has not imposed a lockdown on the Sands Macao hotel in Nape.
Health Bureau officials told yesterday’s press conference that the government decided not to impose a lockdown on Sands Macao for the time being as the 72nd COVID-19 patient had checked out of the hotel before he tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday last week.
In addition, a number of other buildings near some of the red code zones are covered by so-called yellow code zones – i.e., the Macau Health Code colour of residents living there has become yellow – which bars them from leaving Macau, entering various premises in the city, and using public transport – despite the fact that they can leave their homes.
The government has not set up yellow code zones near the Grand Emperor and Victoria hotels – both covered by a red code zone.
Despite the fact that those living in a yellow code zone can leave their homes, they are subject to various COVID-19 measures such as undergoing a nucleic acid test every day during a period of at least 14 days. Their Macau Health Code will return to green after testing negative for COVID-19 in all the required tests during the period.
