The Macau Health Bureau's Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced today three days of mandatory rapid antigen tests (RATs), aka self-tests, for everyone in Macau, after three more cases were confirmed this morning.
The free self-tests, which can be conducted at home, must be uploaded to a designated app set up in conjunction with the Macao Health Code.
The centre reminded the public to follow the self-test procedures used in the past (https://app.ssm.gov.mo/generalrat/).
According to a statement by the centre, the three cases comprise a 43-year-old woman and her two 13-year-old sons.
The woman works as a croupier in the MGM gaming resort in Cotai. Her sons study at a secondary school in Ilha Verde district.
The current COVID-19 situation began last Tuesday when a 66-year-old local woman was diagnosed with COVID-19 by the authorities in the adjacent mainland city of Zhuhai. She had frequently travelled between the two cities. Three more cases, including her 31-year-old son, were diagnosed with the disease later last week. The seven cases have been classified by the Macau Health Bureau as imported or close contact cases.
According to the Health Bureau, the MGM COTAI casino-hotel complex has been locked down. The operations of its casino, restaurants and shops have been suspended and its hotel guests are required to remain in their rooms for medical observation.
A number of entertainment, cultural and sports activities have meanwhile been cancelled, such as the last of the three-day Lusofonia Festival and Super Kids Macao.
Travellers between Macau and Zhuhai are from 6 p.m. today required to present a nucleic acid test (NAT) result valid for 24 hours to the border checkpoint authorities.
According to Macau Health Bureau data, as of 4 p.m. today Macau's COVID-19 tally of confirmed and asymptomatic cases stood at 793 and 1,750 respectively, of which 787 and 1,744 had meanwhile been cured. Macau's COVID-19 death toll stands at six.
Macau reported its first COVID-19 case on January 22, 2020. In general, Macau follows the central government dynamic COVID-19 control and prevention guidelines.
