With the government having launched the third round of citywide COVID-19 tests in response to a new cluster of novel coronavirus cases, some residents who had their nucleic acid test (NAT) at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion commended the government’s pandemic prevention efforts and mass testing initiative.
Macau launched its first round of citywide COVID-19 tests in early August while the second round was conducted in late September.
Speaking of her experience, Chan, a 27-year-old female local resident, said that she had waited around 25 minutes to have her test, which was comparatively longer than the second round of testing. She also said that this time the procedure seemed to be “more serious”, adding that the test appeared to take a few seconds longer than it did before. She also said that the news about the current COVID-19 cluster had made her nervous, but she praised the government for its swift reaction to contain the the spread of the virus. She recommended that citizens avoid social events and public activities, saying that doing so may help ease the pandemic situation and the recovery of Macau’s tourism industry in the long run.
Another local resident, an 18-year-old female, mentioned that the test was faster than the first citywide COVID-19 test, but slower than the second round, adding that “it was more painful than the last time”. She said that she did not feel nervous “because we trust the government” in its efforts to contain the pandemic situation.
Similarly, a 22-year-old local resident, who had waited an hour to have his test, said that it was an organised process but also noted the discomfort while having it. He cited the government’s efforts as a reason to not be nervous, adding that mass testing could help identify possible infections.
Meanwhile, a non-resident worker, a 36-year-old Filipino, found the experience to be precise and the queues to be more controlled than last time. He admitted that he was nervous about the COVID-19 situation and added that mass testing was necessary “to avoid further infections”. He continued by saying that the government did a good job in conducting the citywide tests for the safety of everyone in the local community. He also recommended that as a precaution, people should “stay at home and only go out if it is absolutely necessary”.
Another non-resident worker, a 35-year-old Thai female, said that she did not have to wait long to have her test, adding that it was conducted in an orderly manner. She also said that in her opinion, the situation is not as frightening as long as necessary precautions to protect oneself are taken. She praised how the government has handled the situation, saying that the people in Macau, including non-residents, are “protected really well” against COVID-19.
The government will conclude the third round of citywide COVID-19 tests tomorrow at 9 p.m.
These photos taken yesterday show people queuing up to for the third citywide COVID-19 test at the nucleic acid testing station set up at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. Photos: Rui Pastorin
