Macau's current COVID-19 outbreak, which began on June 18, has risen by just five cases to 1,805, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced this morning.
Of the 5 cases, only one was found in the community, during mass nucleic acid tests (NATs) at the secondary education section of Keang Peng School. The other four cases were discovered in locked-down ("Red Code Zone") buildings and medical observation quarantine hotels.
According to a statement by the centre, the five cases were diagnosed between 00.00 and 11:59 p.m. yesterday.
Macau's tally of confirmed and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases accumulated since January 22, 2020 has reached 783 confirmed and 1,350 asymptomatic cases respectively, according to the website of the Health Bureau (SSM) as of 1:50 p.m. today. A total of 367 of the confirmed cases and 655 of the asymptomatic cases have been cured, the bureau said.
Six COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Macau since the start of the pandemic in January 2020. The six victims - five females and a male - were senior citizens suffering from a range of chronic diseases.
Macau will continue with its mandatory nucleic acid test (NAT) rounds over the weekend and next week. Anyone in Macau – not just residents but also non-resident workers and visitors – must also self-test once a day.
Starting yesterday, Philippine nationals in Macau must undergo daily NATs, the government announced yesterday. The free tests are mandatory. Health Bureau (SSM) officials pointed out that Filipinos account for nearly 10 percent of the cases in the current COVID-19 outbreak.
The Philippine Consulate-General urged its compatriots in Macau in a Tagalog statement on Thursday night to participate in the NAT drive and not to politicise it but to regard it as a sheer health issue. The consulate also pointed out that other nationality groups in Macau have previously also been ordered to undergo mandatory NATs.
The local government has previously ordered nationals from Nepal, Vietnam and Myanmar to be tested for COVID-19.
The consulate said that about 30,000 Philippine nationals live in Macau, or about 4.5 percent of Macau's population of 680,000.
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. Before going for a nucleic acid test, everyone must first self-test at home to prevent the virus from spreading 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. In general, 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.5.1 subvariant.
The government announced on Wednesday the start of an initially weeklong "consolidation period" today in its ongoing fight against COVID-19. The consolidation period has replaced a weeklong "relatively static" state of restrictions on people's movements and business operations.
During the consolidation period, casinos and other "non-essential businesses" are allowed to reopen for business. However, entertainment businesses other than casinos as well as malls remain closed. Dog owners are again be able to take their pets for a walk, but only short ones near their home. Restaurants will continue to be allowed to sell takeaways only.
Casinos reopened early today. Some hair salons opened shortly after midnight today, with queues outside their premises, mostly male customers.
Banks will reopen on Monday. However, strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures will remain in place during the consolidation period and people are supposed to only leave their homes for work or other "urgent and necessary" matters, according to an executive order issued by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng.
Dog owners started early today to take their furry friends for a walk again.
The wearing of KN95 facemasks remains mandatory during the consolidation period, which provisionally is slated to last through Friday.
The government's firm measures to tackle the current COVID-19 Omicron BA.5.1 outbreak have been heeded by virtually the entire population, with the exception of a small number of recusants, some of who have been warned, fined and/or sentenced to suspended jail terms.
Photos by The Macau Post Daily
