A local resident enrolled in a university in Hong Kong who returned to Macau yesterday has tested positive for COVID-19, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced last night.
The centre has classified the case as imported and asymptomatic, because of which it has not been added to Macau’s novel coronavirus tally, which therefore remains at 82.
According to a statement by the centre, the 23-year-old student received his first and second COVID-19 mRNA jab in July, before receiving an mRNA dose as his booster jab earlier this month.
The young man travelled from Hong Kong to Macau on a shuttle bus (aka Golden Bus) via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) yesterday afternoon, and tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon arrival here, because of which he has been transferred to the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane for isolation.
“After considering the man’s epidemiological history, clinical conditions and [COVID-19] test results, his condition has been classified as an imported and asymptomatic case, because of which it has not been classified as a confirmed COVID-19 case for Macau,” the statement said.
In addition to the total of 82 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the centre pointed out last night that Macau has now reported a total of 44 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.
90,000 seniors reached in phone-call jab drive
Meanwhile, Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) President Wilson Hon Wai told reporters yesterday that the government, in collaboration with participating private social service facilities, has already phoned or sent an SMS to around 90,000 senior citizens, during its ongoing campaign encouraging unjabbed senior citizens to get inoculated against COVID-19.
The campaign started on Wednesday last week, based on which the Social Welfare Bureau has requested around 240 private social service facilities in the city to phone senior citizens to ask them whether they have already been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus and to encourage unjabbed ones to get inoculated. Thousands of staff members and volunteers have been working on the campaign.
Hon said yesterday that the around 90,000 accounts for “most” of Macau’s senior citizens.
Hon underlined that since the start of the phone-call campaign, more senior citizens, regardless of those living in homes or retirement homes, have made a booking to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Hon also said that around 200 senior citizens will be inoculated during the Health Bureau’s outreach COVID-19 vaccination programmes in the near future.
Hon made the remarks while speaking to reporters yesterday at an activity centre for seniors run by local charitable organisation Tung Sin Tong, in Areia Preta district, on the sidelines of a presentation session about COVID-19 vaccinations, which also included on-site inoculations. About 60 seniors attended the briefing session, and around half of them were inoculated there after listening to the talk.
According to the Health Bureau’s designated COVID-19 website, as of 4 p.m. yesterday 545,419 people had been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus in Macau, 495,649 had completed two or more doses.
A nurse administers a COVID-19 jab to a female senior citizen at an activity centre for seniors run by charitable organisation Tung Sin Tong in Areia Preta yesterday.
Photo courtesy of TDM
