Pulling down facemask to smoke in public is illegal
The latest tally of Macau’s current COVID-19 outbreak has increased by 59 to 1,526, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced yesterday.
Yesterday was the first day of the local government’s seven-day special measures during which all businesses in Macau must close except those essential for maintaining civil society’s normal functioning or residents’ daily lives, and everyone must stay at home unless going to work, buying daily necessities, or going out for other necessary tasks or urgent reasons, such as going to NAT stations for their mandatory tests or going to healthcare facilities to seek medical treatment.
According to the seven-day special measures, which are implemented based on an executive order by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng promulgated in the Official Gazette (BO) on Saturday, everyone must wear a facemask when going out, while all adults must wear a KN95 facemask or those of higher standards. The special measures took effect at 00:00 yesterday and are slated to end at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
Anyone violating the order, including those failing to wear a KN95 facemask or those of higher standards when going out, faces up to two years in jail or a hefty fine.
Earlier yesterday, police officers warned the executive order’s violators during their street patrols. The police announced yesterday evening that they have started to strictly carry out law enforcement of the order, i.e., booking violators without giving them a warning first.
The government said that as of 3 p.m. yesterday, officers of various law enforcement agencies and inspectors of other various public entities had given 905 violators an oral warning, adding that the violations included jogging in public areas, sitting down in public parks, taking a pet for a walk, and failing to wear a facemask that meets the officially required standards when going out.
Two law enforcement agencies, the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Macau Customs Service, announced separately last night that a total of four people had been found violating the executive order yesterday.
According to a Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre statement yesterday morning, the 59 new locally transmitted cases were detected between 00:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, raising the outbreak tally from 1,467 as of Saturday night to 1,526 as of Sunday night.
The statement also said that while 42 of the 59 new local cases reported on Sunday were detected among COVID-19 carriers subject to management and control measures, namely lockdowns and hotel quarantine, the other 17 cases were detected in the community, comprising six close contacts of previously reported COVID-19 cases, seven cases detected by mass nucleic acid tests (NATs) and among high-risk key groups of people, and four cases detected among other individuals.
During yesterday evening’s daily press conference about the viral menace, Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), said that 557 of the latest tally of 1,526 cases have been classified as confirmed COVID-19 cases as they had come down with symptoms, while the other 969 cases have been classified as asymptomatic cases as they had not developed any symptoms.
The outbreak’s latest tally of 1,526 includes Macau’s first two COVID-19 deaths, which were reported on Sunday last week. Both were chronically ill female senior citizens, aged 100 and 94 respectively, who lived in the same nursing home. The centenarian was Macau’s oldest COVID-19 patient.
599,979 tested, 12 batches of pooled samples positive as of yesterday afternoon
Meanwhile, according to a Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre statement yesterday, as of 3 p.m. yesterday, 599,979 people had had their swabs taken for COVID-19 tests under the government’s seventh mandatory citywide NAT drive, which ended at 6 p.m. yesterday. A total of 465,775 had come up with a negative result, while 12 batches of pooled samples (10 samples per pooled samples) had tested positive for COVID-19 as of 3 p.m. yesterday. No updates about the latest results of the seventh round of mass testing were announced last night.
The government has launched four more rounds of mandatory citywide nucleic acid tests to be carried out in eight days, which started on Sunday. Each of the four rounds of the mass NAT drive, namely the current COVID-19 outbreak’s 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th rounds, lasts 33 hours. The eighth round will be carried out from 9 a.m. today to 6 p.m. tomorrow.
During the seven-day period from yesterday through Sunday, only limited public bus services are provided. Only those working in sectors that remain open this week or those going to healthcare facilities to seek medical treatment are allowed to catch a bus.
Those working in sectors that are allowed to stay open are issued a special permit by the respective public entities overseeing the respective sectors’ operations for them to show to the driver when getting on a bus.
Domestic helpers can show their “blue card”, which indicates that they are legally employed in Macau, when catching a public bus. Live-out domestic helpers are allowed to continue travelling to their employers’ home to work.
Around 63,000 permits for public bus users
Officials said during yesterday’s press conference that those who regularly seek treatment at hospitals for their chronic diseases are required to show proof issued by the respective hospital when getting on a public bus.
Senior Unitary Police Service (SPU) officer Cheong Kin Ian said during the press conference that as of yesterday afternoon, around 63,000 special permits had been issued to those working in sectors that remain operational this week.
Senior Transport Bureau (DSAT) official Chang Cheong Hin underlined that when taking a public bus, staff members of the respective sectors must show their original special permits. Chang said that a number of people attempted to get on a public bus by showing a copy of their special permits earlier yesterday, adding that drivers will not allow such passengers to get on the buses.
Meanwhile, Public Security Police (PSP) PR officer Lei Tak Fai noted during the press conference that those who smoke by pulling down their facemask in the street are violating the executive order and face punishment.
Lei also warned that those selling their special bus permit or using other people’s permit to take the bus will face criminal prosecution.
The government has said that the seven-day order is a “static management” measure that aims to minimise the city’s movement of people as much as possible. The government has underlined that the weeklong “static management” is needed to enable Macau to eventually reach “zero cases in the community”.
Macau is battling an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron BA.5 subvariant. The outbreak was detected on June 18.
Health Bureau’s (SSM) Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division chief Leong Iek Hou (left) and Public Security Police’s (PSP) Public Relations Division chief Lei Tai Fai address yesterday’s press conference about the city’s current COVID-19 outbreak. Photo: GCS
