Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) Director Derby Lau Wai Meng says that with the aim of preventing the novel coronavirus from entering the community, her bureau has taken the precautionary measure of storing letters and parcels that have been delivered to Macau for at least 70 hours after disinfecting them, before delivering them to their recipients across the city.
Lau made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a press conference on Friday about two new stamp releases, at the General Post Office (GPO) in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.
Early last week, the Macau government urged residents to take additional precautionary measures when collecting and unpacking parcels received, in the wake of COVID-19 cases reported in the mainland in which patients were apparently infected with the Omicron variant after touching parcels delivered from overseas.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Lau said that her bureau has been strengthening its disinfection of letters and parcels delivered to Macau during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lau noted that in a number of recent COVID-19 cases reported in the mainland, the samples taken from the outer packaging of international delivery parcels that the patients had touched tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Lau said that due to the situation, her bureau has toughened its COVID-19 prevention measures for letters and parcels delivered to Macau, according to which, she said, her office will store all letters and parcels that have been delivered to Macau for a period of time after disinfecting them, before delivering them to their recipients.
Consequently, Lau noted, her bureau’s deliveries will be delayed for a while, calling residents to show understanding. “After going through all these processes, a letter or parcel is expected to be delivered [to its recipient] at least 70 hours after they have arrived in Macau,” Lau said.
However, Lau noted that there is still a lack of scientific evidence indicating how long the novel coronavirus can stay alive on a parcel. Nevertheless, Lau said, her bureau has decided to take additional precautionary measures for letters and parcels delivered to Macau, after referencing similar practices adopted by neighbouring countries and regions.
Lau admitted that the additional COVID-19 precautionary measures will increase her bureau’s cost of handling letters and parcels and its staff members’ workload. However, Lau said, for the time being her bureau will continue with the measures, and constantly assess whether they should be “adjusted” in line with the latest COVID-19 developments worldwide in the future.
Lau also said that staff members of her bureau whose jobs involve handling letters and parcels are required to be tested for COVID-19 regularly.
Lau again reminded residents to carefully handle letters and parcels when receiving them such as by properly disinfecting the outer packaging, urging them “not to panic unnecessarily”.
39 COVID-19 cases in Zhuhai as of last nightMeanwhile, as of last night, the adjacent city of Zhuhai had reported a total of 39 COVID-19 positive cases, including four asymptomatic cases, during its current Omicron wave, which started on January 14. Most of the patients live in Nanping (南屏) town, which only lies a few kilometres northwest of Macau.
Zhuhai health officials said on Saturday that the current COVID-19 wave there has now become “controllable”.
The Macau government’s 15-day ban on all passenger flights from foreign countries, which started on January 9, was lifted at midnight last night.
Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) Director Derby Lau Wai Meng speaks to reporters at the bureau’s headquarters in the city centre on Friday. Photo courtesy of TDM
