Macau's current COVID-19 outbreak, which began on June 18, has risen by 57 cases to 1,583, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced this morning.
According to a statement by the centre, the 57 cases were diagnosed between 00.00 and 23:59 yesterday. The statement pointed out that 33 of the cases were detected in locked-down ("red zone") areas and quarantine hotels, six are close contacts of previously confirmed cases, 14 were detected in the ongoing mandatory nucleic acid testing (NATs) drive and among high-risk key groups, while four were detected among other groups in the community.
On Sunday, the figure was up by 59.
Macau's tally of confirmed and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases accumulated since January 2020 has reached 642 confirmed and 1,202 asymptomatic cases respectively, according to the website of the Health Bureau (SSM) as of 3:30 p.m. today. A total of 141 of the confirmed cases and 311 of the asymptomatic cases have been cured, the bureau said.
Two COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Macau since the start of the pandemic. The female victims, aged 100 and 94 respectively, died last Sunday. Both had lived in the same nursing home.
Macau is holding four mandatory citywide NAT rounds this week. Generally speaking, each person in Macau aged 3 or over must be tested for COVID-19 at a NAT station every other day. Anyone in Macau - not just residents but also non-resident workers and visitors - must also self-test once a day. The testing drive, which began yesterday, ends on Sunday.
The government has been distributing free rapid antigen test (RAT) kits (self-tests) among the population, the results of which are to be uploaded to an app of the Health Bureau (SSM) for verification. It has also been handing out free KN95 masks at testing stations.
Macau reported its first novel coronavirus case on January 22, 2020.
The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) has been closely coordinating its anti-COVID-19 measures with the National Health Commission (NHC) in Beijing. Macau follows the mainland's dynamic zero-COVID policy that is focused on preventing fatalities and serious cases.
Hundreds of health workers from the mainland are assisting the local authorities in battling the current outbreak driven by the highly infectious OMICRON BA.5 subvariant.
Meanwhile, most businesses stay closed by order of Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng this week - including Macau's about three dozen casinos. However, wet markets, supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants selling takeaways, hotels (many of which have become de-facto dormitories for migrant workers during the current outbreak), healthcare facilities and other essential businesses have been allowed to stay open.
Newspaper and other media companies have also been permitted to remain open.
According to the executive order, people in Macau are to stay home unless when shopping for daily necessities and for other urgent matters such as going to a NAT station for their mandatory tests. They must wear KN95 facemasks when out and about and at their workplace. It is illegal to pull down one's facemask to be able to smoke in public. It is also illegal to take one's dog on a walk this week. However, owners can take their pets to a veterinary clinic for treatment.
Public buses are running on greatly reduced schedules. Bus passengers must hold special permits. The airport remains open.
All entertainment and recreation venues have been closed by government order since shortly after the current outbreak's first case had been detected on June 18. However, casinos had been allowed to stay open. All casinos were closed at 00:00 yesterday.
The government has insisted that this week's curbs – the most severe since the pandemic has affected Macau – are not a citywide lockdown but restrictions on people's movements.
Violators of this week's restrictions face up to two years behind bars or a hefty fine, the government has announced. The government has also underlined that the curbs are not recommendations but based on an executive order that everyone in Macau needs to follow.
Observers have pointed out that "almost everyone" in Macau is heeding the government's restrictions.
Restaurants selling takeaways have reported brisk business since the government banned dine-in services following the detection of the current outbreak's first case.
