The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that it has launched its pandemic prevention plan in conjunction with Macau Slaughter House Ltd. in response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation and to stabilise the price and supply of fresh meat.
According to the statement, the bureau and the abattoir have adopted a series of prevention measures such as requiring the abattoir staff to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, undergoing nucleic acid tests (NATs) every 48 hours, obtain a valid Macau Health Code and undergo temperature checks before work, as well as enhancing the cleaning and disinfection of the slaughterhouse.
Upon the plan’s launch, the statement noted, the slaughterhouse’s manpower has been “reduced by half”. Meanwhile, by-products such as pig’s blood are suspended and the slaughtering of cows may also be affected “to a certain extent” to prioritise the stable supply of fresh pork.
The statement pointed out that the abattoir began operations “earlier than usual at 1 a.m. yesterday”, adding that there was a “smooth” overall operation process. The statement added that 387 pigs and six cows were slaughtered, which brought the supply to 50 percent “more than the usual quantity”. Moreover, fresh beef was supplied to the market earlier than usual, while fresh pork was transported to the different municipal markets and supermarkets before 6 a.m. yesterday.
The statement pointed out that fresh pork only accounts for 20 percent of the local pork consumer market, with the most being frozen meat.
The statement underlined that there are “abundant” chilled and frozen pork supplies in the city, adding that the bureau will maintain close contact with Nam Yue (Group) Co. Ltd. and Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited, which are Macau’s live swine suppliers, and the local slaughterhouse to adjust the measures in line with the pandemic situation.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows meat being delivered to retailers.
