The Macau government announced yesterday that it is planning to shorten the validity of the negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result for unvaccinated local residents and non-resident workers entering from Guangdong to just 24 hours from the current 48 hours.
In addition to those arriving from Zhuhai, Leong underlined that the planned stricter NAT validity will also be applicable to those arriving from Shenzhen by ferry.
Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), made the announcement during yesterday evening’s press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre where she reported the Macau government’s ongoing work in response to the detection of a COVID-19 positive case, a 66-year-old local woman living in Fai Chi Kei who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Zhuhai on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement late last night that the 66-year-old woman’s son, aged 31, has also tested positive for COVID-19.
Macau has several land border checkpoints with Zhuhai, and runs a ferry service with Zhuhai’s Wanzai harbour. Macau also operates a ferry service with Shenzhen.
Currently, the negative NAT result for those travelling between Macau and Guangdong is valid for 48 hours, i.e., for those entering the province from Macau, and vice versa.
Leong noted yesterday that the 66-year-old woman and her son living with her have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Leong went on to say that the Health Bureau’s epidemiological investigation indicated that both had “frequently” travelled between Macau and Zhuhai.
Leong said that unvaccinated people who often travel between Macau and Zhuhai are posing a COVID-19 risk to both cities. Consequently, Leong said, after discussions with the mainland’s health authorities, the Macau government is now planning to roll out a new measure for certain groups of people entering Macau from Guangdong, namely local residents, non-resident workers, as well as other non-local people who hold a permit to stay in Macau for a long period of time, according to which their NAT validity will be shortened to just 24 hours if they have not been inoculated against COVID-19.
Leong did not mention when the new measure is set to get off the ground.
According to Leong, two groups of people will be exempted from the new measure, namely those aged below five and those who hold a doctor’s certificate confirming their unsuitability for COVID-19 vaccinations, meaning that their NAT validity will remain valid for 48 hours when entering Macau from Guangdong after the commencement of the new measure, despite having not been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.
Measure won’t violate jabs’ voluntary principle
When asked by reporters whether the new measure would amount to a violation of the Macau government’s principle that COVID-19 vaccinations are voluntary, Leong said that neither the 66-year-old woman nor her son have been inoculated against the novel coronavirus even though the Macau government commenced its COVID-19 vaccination programme a “long” time ago, while both had often travelled between Macau and Zhuhai. Leong underlined that the new measure is warranted because unvaccinated individuals frequently travelling between the two cities are posing a COVID-19 risk to the community in both cities.
Leong underlined that the new measure will not make it mandatory for everyone to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because it is their choice not to get inoculated but to be subject to a shorter NAT validity when entering Macau from Guangdong.
Leong reaffirmed that in case someone gets infected with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 vaccinations can significantly reduce the burden on the city’s health system.
Leong said that details of the new measure will be announced in due course. She also urged those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 elsewhere to visit one of the city’s NAT sampling stations to register their vaccination records with the Macau Health Bureau’s system. Only after they have completed the registrations, will their COVID-19 vaccination records be displayed on their Macau Health Code.
After the detection of the 66-year-old woman’s case on Wednesday, all those who live or work in the vicinity of her home have been required to undergo three nucleic acid tests in three days between that day and today.
Those covered by the ongoing three-day NAT campaign, which is slated to end at 11:59 p.m. today, must self-test for COVID-19 with a rapid antigen test (RAT) kit at home and upload their negative RAT result onto the Health Bureau’s platform before going to NAT stations for their nucleic acid tests. About four dozen NAT sampling stations are currently operating across the city.
The building where the woman lives, Weng Heng Building, was locked down on Wednesday afternoon, i.e., after having been listed as a Red Code Zone. The building’s residents are prohibited from leaving their homes and are required to undergo regular nucleic acid tests during the lockdown period, which is provisionally slated to end on Tuesday next week.
After the detection of the 66-year-old woman’s case, five people have been classified as her COVID-19 close contacts, namely her son and her younger sister living with her, as well as three other people who had visited her home.
As of last night, no COVID-19 positive results had been reported from the ongoing three-day NAT campaign and from those living in the Red Code Zone.
Woman’s son is vocational training programme student
However, the woman’s son, who was transferred to quarantine on Wednesday morning after his mother was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, “weakly” tested positive for the novel coronavirus yesterday, last night’s statement by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said.
The statement underlined that the 31-year-old man tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday before coming up with a “weak” positive result yesterday, indicating that he had been infected with the novel coronavirus for just a short period of time. The statement also underlined that the man’s case was detected when he was already in quarantine, and he had not come down with any COVID-19 symptoms as of last night.
The statement also said that the man, who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, usually attends a vocational training programme organised by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL).
According to the statement, the Health Bureau has concluded that the man’s infection has only resulted in a low risk of the occurrence of a COVID-19 community transmission.
Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division, addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s COVID-19 situation.
– Photo: GCS
