The Macau government yesterday published the first draft version of its contingency plan for a massive COVID-19 outbreak, which includes the possible setting-up of two makeshift hospitals at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai, providing 4,430 beds.
According to the first draft version, all treatment and isolation facilities whose operations have been activated by a massive COVID-19 outbreak can provide up to around 6,700 beds, equivalent to 25 times as many as the current 266 isolation beds.
In case Macau is hit by a very serious COVID-19 outbreak, according to the plan, the government would impose a citywide lockdown, when residents must stay at home except for essential tasks.
The local government first announced three weeks ago that it had come up with a worst-case scenario COVID-19 contingency plan.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement last night that after gathering opinions and suggestions from various segments of civil society and various government entities, it has drawn up the first draft version of Macau’s contingency plan for a massive COVID-19 outbreak.
The full version of the plan’s first draft version, which is only currently available in the Chinese language, can be downloaded on https://www.ssm.gov.mo/docs2/file/p/21928/ch.
Yesterday’s statement said that the contingency plan’s Portuguese and English versions will be available “soon”.
The plan’s first draft version points out that Macau currently has a total of 266 isolation beds, comprising 120 beds in the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane and 146 beds in the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.
According to the plan, the two makeshift hospitals at the Macau East Asian Games Dome would comprise an indoor and an outdoor facility. The indoor makeshift hospital would have a total of 1,670 beds, inside the East Asian Games Dome and in its adjacent Athletes Training and Development Centre, while the outdoor makeshift hospital would have a total of 2,760 beds, outside the East Asian Games Dome and the Athletes Training and Development Centre. Consequently, the two makeshift hospitals can provide up to 4,430 beds.
If Macau has more than 50 new COVID-19 patients, according to the plan, the government would start preparing the operation of the two makeshift hospitals.
If need be, according to the plan, the indoor makeshift hospital could come into use in a few days, while the government is still designing the setting-up of the outdoor hospital, the plan says.
If Macau has more than 100 new COVID-19 patients, according to the plan, the one or two makeshift hospitals would come into use.
If the number of new COVID-19 patients further increases to over 500, the government would start preparing the operation of quarantine hotels to house COVID-19 patients, according to the plan.
If Macau has more than 1,500 new COVID-19 patients, according to the plan, quarantine hotels used for housing COVID-19 patients would start operating.
If the number of new COVID-19 patients further increases to over 2,000, the government would start preparing its plan for home isolation. If the patient number exceeds 5,000, the government would activate its home isolation arrangements, according to the contingency plan.
