Maggie Wong San San, chief of the Public Affairs and General Archives Division of the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT), told reporters yesterday that all postal items arriving by air, land or sea must undergo three rounds of disinfection, which takes about 70 hours, before they can be delivered to the recipients.
Wong made the remarks on the sidelines of yesterday’s media tour of the disinfection process at the Macao Post Building in Estrada de D. Maria II.
Wong pointed out that stricter disinfecting procedures for all incoming mail, including Speed Post, parcels and general correspondence, were imposed in late January, in response to a COVID-19 outbreak in the nearby regions. She pointed out that in the first round the postal items are disinfected as soon as they arrive in Macau, then a second round of disinfection takes place upon their arrival at the Macao Post Building once again disinfecting the outer packaging of the mail. She added that after storing them for a few dozen hours, in the third round CTT staff members disinfect the inner packaging. She noted that the entire disinfection process takes around 70 hours.
Wong underlined that all frontline workers of the bureau are required to undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) every seven days.
Wong said she believed the disinfectants used in the process are the same as those that residents can buy in local shops.
Meanwhile, Wong noted that Macau, on average, currently receives 3,000 to 4,000 mailsacks per month, a decrease since the recent COVID-19 outbreak in neighbouring regions. She pointed out that the bureau has converted the building’s car park on the ground floor into a disinfection area for mail arriving in Macau.
Wong also said that the disinfecting process is now done by outsourced cleaning services. She acknowledged that the amount of money paid to the cleaning company has increased due to the stricter procedures, but she was quick to add that she could not provide the exact figures.
According to Wong, she has trust in the “professionalism” of the outsourced cleaning services, adding that the cleaning products comply with hygiene standards and are effective in eliminating the novel coronavirus.
According to a CCT statement given out during the media tour, the disinfecting measures follow the Health Bureau’s (SSM) guidelines, and also are carried out in line with the guidelines of the State Post Bureau.
CTT urges residents to wear a facemask and disposable gloves when opening letters or parcels from outside the city or high-risk places for COVID-19 infection, and that they should open such items outdoors. The statement added that if the process involves removing goods from boxes and has to take place indoors, such boxes should be disinfected with a 75-percent isopropyl alcohol solution. The statement pointed out that after completing the unpacking process, people should wash or disinfect their hands.
Staff are disinfecting postal items in the carpark yesterday.
Public Affairs and General Archives Division Chief of the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) Maggie Wong San San (centre) introduces the disinfection process at the converted ground-floor carpark Macao Post Building during yesterday’s media tour.
