The Macau Post Daily asked people in the central district about their opinions on the government’s decision on the temporary closure of all non-essential businesses.
The government announced the measure, which aims to help battle the current COVID-19 outbreak, on Saturday.
‘Business will surely be affected’
A female stall worker, Teng, who sells egg waffles, said that she has not received any message from her boss about whether the stall will stay open during the implementation of the COVID-19 prevention measure, adding that the business will surely be affected during the weeklong period when people will only be allowed to go outside to buy their daily necessities. Teng also said that she was worried about her business as many facilities will be closed from today, such as the city’s shopping malls. However, Teng said: “I am still waiting for my boss’s response [to the government’s decision]”, adding that there was a high possibility for them to continue opening the stall and their other shop, which is selling egg waffles but also used as a warehouse near the stall. Otherwise, Teng said, they would find it difficult to pay the rent.
‘I am not worried about the new prevention measure bringing inconvenience’
A female civil servant surnamed Loi said that she would not be significantly impacted by the new COVID-19 prevention measure, adding that as she is a civil servant, she will be working at a nucleic acid station during the seven days. Moreover, Loi said that she agreed with the measure as it could lower the number of people walking around the streets which may increase the risk of the spread of the novel coronavirus. In order to prevent getting infected, Loi said that she will frequently clean herself and use disinfectants as well as wear a facemask that fulfils the quality requirement of the government [which has made the wearing of KN95 facemasks or those of higher standards mandatory from today] when she works outside. Loi said that she was not worried about the new prevention measure bringing inconvenience, adding that she has already bought her daily necessities, such as food, on the internet.
‘It’s time to control the flow of people outside’
Kaka, a male local resident, said he agreed with the government as he believed it was necessary to implement the new prevention measure. “It is time to control the flow of people outside”, adding that the virus has already spread in the community. Kaka also said that it was “a little bit” late to implement the measure, based on the increase of COVID-19 confirmed cases during the current outbreak. However, he added, it was the right time to carry out the measure according to the current situation of the city, saying that the outbreak could not be “predicted”. When asked about his preparations for the weeklong business suspension, Kaka said that there was “nothing” he needed to be ready for, adding that a week would pass quickly. He also said that the technology for takeaway services nowadays allows people to order food via their mobile phones. He also said that he expected the situation to improve by the Mid-Autumn Festival in September.
People ‘must help the govt’
“For me, the measures are okay in order to stop or minimise the pandemic”, said a Filipino male local resident aged 50, adding that people must “help the government to minimise the situation and get us back to the way things were before”. He added that if nobody cooperates, the measures implemented by the government “will be useless”. Although he commented that the measure comes “a little late”, he noted that it might have been due to attempting to observe the changes in the pandemic situation first. Moreover, he also commented that despite feeling like nobody is safe as the pandemic has already hit Macau, it is not as scary as it was before when the virus was still new and there were no vaccines.
‘I know where I go’
42-year-old Jacuselem, a non-resident domestic worker from the Philippines, said she believed that she would not be affected much by the new measure as she agreed on its focus of maintaining the operation of essential services. However, she pointed out that her compatriots working in certain companies may be affected by the measure. Being a “stay-out” worker, The Macau Post Daily also asked her if she was afraid of having to constantly go back and forth from her boarding house to her employer’s residence, to which she responded that she wasn’t scared as “I know where I go”, adding that those places are currently the only places she goes. She added that she is very careful about the routes she chooses to take and does not live very far from her employer.
‘If they don’t have work, where will they get food?’
Meanwhile, Encino, a non-resident worker from the Philippines, said that the measure does not affect him as he is a helper and can continue working, as well as noting the measure could further efforts in containing the virus. However, he lamented on worries that the measure could have on non-residents whose jobs could be affected, adding that those who don’t have work or are on unpaid leave should at least have a daily budget or allowance to help them cope. “I think they should at least have something for daily expenses because they are only relying on their salaries, nothing else”, the 40-year-old noted. Moreover, he said that the government could perhaps ask their employers to provide “a daily budget”, pointing out that “if they don’t have work, how can they afford food?”.
People wearing their KN95 facemasks sit under a tree yesterday opposite the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) in Largo do Senado. This is the place where The Macau Post Daily’s vox pop was conducted yesterday. Photo: Rui Pastorin
