The Health Bureau (SSM) said yesterday that it has provisionally concluded that Macau has not incurred a high risk of possible COVID-19 community transmissions resulting from Wednesday’s case in which a local crew member of a cargo ship plying the Hong Kong-Macau route tested positive for the novel coronavirus, after those who lived with him and his colleagues had all tested negative for COVID-19 in their nucleic acid tests (NATs) as of yesterday afternoon.
Nevertheless, the bureau also said yesterday that only after all results of its ongoing three-day NAT drive for those who live or work in the vicinity of the man’s home, which will end at 11:59 p.m. today, become available, will the government be able to “assess more fully” whether the COVID-19 risk in Macau resulting from the sailor’s case has been basically cleared.
Wong Weng Man, acting chief of the Health Promotion Division of the Health Bureau, made the remarks during yesterday evening’s press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre. It was the first time that Wong hosted a COVID-19 press conference.
Macau currently has around 40 local residents who are crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route. They are currently exempt from “closed-loop management” as long as they comply with the Health Bureau’s special COVID-19 measures for them, meaning that they can return to their home and enter the community every time they return from Hong Kong on their vessels.
The Macau government announced the 73-year-old man’s case on Wednesday morning. His case has been classified as imported from Hong Kong. Wednesday’s viral genome sequencing by the Macau Health Bureau confirmed that he had been infected with the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, which is currently prevalent in Hong Kong.
The man had undergone a nucleic acid test every day after returning from Hong Kong. A test he had had on Tuesday evening came up with a positive COVID-19 result on Wednesday morning.
The building where the sailor lives had meanwhile been listed as a Red Code Zone, Mayfair Court in Rua de Francisco António, which is located near Praça de Ponte e Horta in the Inner Harbour area. The building’s residents are barred from leaving their homes and are required to undergo regular nucleic acid tests during the lockdown period.
The man’s workplace, Pier No. 6A2 where he boards his Hong Kong-bound vessel, is located near his home.
In the wake of the 73-year-old man’s case, all those who live or work in an area in the vicinity of his home have been required to undergo two nucleic acid tests in three days from Wednesday to today. As of last night, no positive results had been detected in the government’s ongoing NAT campaign for the area around the man’s home in the Inner Harbour area.
During yesterday evening’s press conference, Wong noted that the 73-year-old man had constantly tested negative for COVID-19 in daily nucleic acid tests through Monday, before the test he had had on Tuesday came up with a positive result. In addition, Wong said, those who have been classified as close contact of the man’s case, such as those who lived with him and his colleagues, had all tested negative for COVID-19 in their nucleic acid tests as of yesterday afternoon.
Consequently, Wong said, the Health Bureau has provisionally concluded that the risk of COVID-19 community transmissions in Macau in the wake of the man’s case is low.
Wong also reaffirmed that crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route can only be exempt from “closed-loop management” provided that they strictly comply with all special COVID-19 measures required for them. Wong noted that according to the special measures, the crew members are prohibited from going ashore or being in contact with any people in Hong Kong when their vessels are in Hong Kong.
In addition, Wong pointed out, crew members who are exempt from “closed-loop management” must wear a KN95 facemask when they are in Hong Kong and are also required to undergo a nucleic acid test every day after returning from Hong Kong.
Wong said that any crew members who are found to have violated any of the special COVID-19 measures must immediately be subject to “closed-loop management”.
Wong also revealed that the Macau Judiciary Police (PJ) have launched an investigation as to whether the 73-year-old sailor had violated any of the special COVID-19 measures.
Sector strongly opposes to ‘closed-loop management’
Meanwhile, Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) Director Susana Wong Soi Man told reporters after attending a committee meeting of the Legislative Assembly (AL) that the Macau government believed that the 73-year-old sailor had been infected with COVID-19 when his vessel was anchored in Hong Kong. She underlined that DSAMA officials have been repeatedly urging Hong Kong-Macau cargo ship crew members to strictly comply with the Health Bureau’s special COVID-19 measures.
Wong pointed out that the Macau government had implemented “closed-loop management” for crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route for a period of time during which they were only allowed to commute between their workplaces (piers in the Inner Harbour) and a government-designated hotel in Praça de Ponte e Horta in government-arranged special vehicles, without returning to their home and entering the community.
However, Wong said that members of the sector were strongly opposed to the government’s “closed-loop management” arrangements, after which the government decided to lift the requirements, provided that crew members were willing to strictly comply with special COVID-19 measures. According to Wong, the sector’s members said that “closed-loop management” would adversely affect the sector’s operations and prevent crew members from having normal family lives.
Wong said that the bureau was still assessing whether to reimplement “closed-loop management” for crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route.
NRW infected with Omicron BA.5.2
Meanwhile, the Health Bureau’s Wong Weng Man said during yesterday evening’s press conference that viral genome sequencing by Zhuhai’s health authorities has confirmed that the 26-year-old male non-resident worker (NRW) employed in Macau, whose asymptomatic COVID-19 case was detected in Zhuhai on Sunday, has been infected with the Omicron BA.5.2 subvariant, which is different to the BA.5.1 subvariant that caused Macau’s latest COVID-19 outbreak, which began on June 18 and started to subside around three weeks ago.
The latest COVID-19 outbreak, Macau’s worst since the start of the pandemic, is also known in Chinese as “618 outbreak”, which had resulted in 1,821 cases, which included six fatalities, all senior citizens inflicted with a string of chronic diseases. “618” refers to the fact that the latest outbreak started on June 18.
Zhuhai has reported a number of new local COVID-19 cases since earlier this month, some of which have meanwhile been confirmed as having been infected with the Omicron BA.5.2 subvariants.
Wong said yesterday that Zhuhai’s health authorities are still identifying the infection sources of the city’s recent new local cases.
The NRW works in the bakery of the Grand Mart supermarket, which is located near the Macau Jockey Club in Taipa. The NRW, who is from the mainland, is a daily commuter between Macau and Zhuhai.
The NRW had lived in Block 1 of the Polytec Garden residential estate in Areia Preta district through Wednesday last week. After Zhuhai lifted its then quarantine for arrivals from Macau, which took effect at 6 p.m. on Wednesday last week, he resumed his daily commute between the two cities on Thursday last week, and has been living in his home in Zhuhai since then.
Wong also revealed during yesterday’s press conference that a COVID-19 case announced by Zhuhai’s health authorities on Wednesday, a 21-year-old female NRW employed in Macau, is the 26-year-old NRW’s wife.
According to Zhuhai’s health authorities, the woman tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday when she was undergoing quarantine resulting from her husband’s COVID-19 detection.
Wong Weng Man, acting chief of the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Health Promotion Division, addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s COVID-19 situation. From now on the government will only hold a COVID-19 press conference every Thursday. – Photo: GCS
