The Macau government announced today that it planned to launch a "consolidation period" after reaching its dynamic zero-COVID-19 goal with multiple rounds of citywide mandatory nucleic acid tests (NATs).
Senior government officials, including Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong Weng Chon, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U and Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong, announced the government's current anti-epidemic measures and future plans during a regular press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre this afternoon.
The officials said that the consolidation period may be relatively long, admitting that some new COVID-19 cases may still be detected during the period.
The government announced this afternoon a five-day extension of its curbs on people's movements and business activities through Friday next week. The restrictions, which took effect on Monday (July 11), were originally slated to end tomorrow night.
The officials said that some businesses meeting certain criteria and safety standard would possibly be allowed to operate during the consolidation period, such as hair salons.
According to the officials, the government's aim continues to achieve a return to normal life and achieve quarantine-free travel with the Chinese mainland as soon as possible.
Ao Ieong said the future direction of the government's anti-COVID-19 measures would depend on the outcome of next week's three rounds of nucleic acid tests. She said that during the consolidation period people in Macau should be able to gradually return to their normal life.
The first case of Macau's current Omicron BA.5 outbreak was detected on June 18.
Meanwhile, Lei said said the government planned to start distributing its financial support measures worth 10 billion patacas to local residents and business in the middle of next month. The policy secretary also said the government would launch more economic stimulus.
The officials also announced details of next week's three NAT rounds involving 42 general testing stations offering the tests free of charge, 13 stations that charge 55 patacas per test, seven special care stations (for the elderly, disabled, etc.) and four mobile stations (buses). There will be no more 24-hour testing.
The general testing stations will operate between 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. on the first day of each two-day round, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the second day of each round. Special care stations will operate between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. on the first day and between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the second day of each round. The mobile stations will run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the first day and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the second day of each round.
The officials noted that in the past few people went to the testing stations overnight, adding that the hard-working healthcare workers needed more time to rest.
The press conference also said that 25 supposedly close-loop hotel staff and 15 people under medical observation at The Parisian Macao, one of Macau's "quarantine hotels", in Cotai had tested positive for COVID-19. The officials said the mass outbreak at the hotel was possibly due to contacts between people at the hotel's canteen, lifts and room doors.
Meanwhile, the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) announced tonight that staff members of accounting firms can apply for special permits to go back to work next week.
