The Health Bureau (SSM) and Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) have been cooperating with the Macau Red Cross to provide outreach Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) services to people with “specific difficulties” in the city, with 2,885 people in need of special assistance having received the services from June 20 to Tuesday this week, according to an IAS statement yesterday.
The statement noted that the number of home screening applications has been increasing for people needing special assistance, which include those who are bedridden or have difficulties leaving their homes due to illness. This is due to recent COVID-19 control and prevention policies, and the need for key areas to undergo screening.
Upon discussion with the Health Bureau, IAS has obtained support from local social service organisations and the mainland’s sampling team to increase service capacity and speed up the processing for the outreach NATs, the statement said.
The statement pointed out that the mainland’s sampling team has given its full support to the outreach NAT. Vehicles and drivers providing voluntary assistance have also been arranged by Caritas Macau and the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (commonly known as Kai Fong in Cantonese).
The statement said that all these units combined with the Health Bureau, Social Welfare Bureau (SSM) and the Public Security Police (PSP) resulted in 18 teams providing the services to people in need of special assistance.
IAS sincerely thanked all of the units for their support in the statement.
This undated handout photo provided by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) yesterday shows the mainland sampling team providing outreach nucleic acid testing (NAT) services.
