Macau yesterday reported two more COVID-19 cases related to the case of a 74-year-old taxi driver whose COVID-19 infection was detected and announced on Monday, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced last night.
The centre underlined that it has concluded that the two new cases reported yesterday have only resulted in a relatively low COVID-19 community transmission risk, because both had already been transferred to quarantine for medical observation before they tested positive for the novel coronavirus yesterday.
However, the centre announced in a statement in the early hours of today that one more COVID-19 case linked to the cabbie’s case has been confirmed.
The 74-year-old taxi driver’s case was one of four COVID-19 cases reported on Monday, comprising the cabbie, his 14-year-old grandson who is a schoolboy and lives with him, and a couple who are relatives of the cabbie.
The cabbie self-tested for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test (RAT) on Monday morning, because of which he was transferred to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for a follow-up nucleic acid test (NAT), where he came up with a positive COVID-19 result. Afterwards, the cabbie’s 14-year-old grandson who lives with him, as well as the couple who had visited the cabbie’s home, were also transferred to the public hospital for a follow-up nucleic acid test, where they all also registered a positive result.
According to Monday’s announcement, the cabbie told the Health Bureau that on Friday or Saturday he picked up four passengers who were tourists from the mainland. The cabbie told the bureau that one of the four passengers was coughing during the journey. The bureau indicated on Monday that the cabbie was likely infected by the passenger who was coughing.
All four cases reported on Monday have been classified as connected to imported cases. All of them are local residents.
The building where the cabbie and his grandson live, and the building where the couple live, were locked down on Monday afternoon.
The cabbie and his grandson live in Kuan Wai Building on Rua do Almirante Costa Cabral, while the couple live in Green Field Building, which is near Kuan Wai Building, on Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque.
In addition, two restaurants that had been visited by the taxi driver were also locked down on Monday afternoon.
The 14-year-old boy is a F3 student of Pui Ching Middle School, which runs kindergarten, primary and secondary classes on the same campus located in Avenida de Horta e Costa. While the school has not suspended classes, the 14-year-old schoolboy’s classmates have been transferred to quarantine for medical observation.
Cabbie’s other grandson
The first new case reported last night is the cabbie’s other grandson who lives with him. The boy, aged 17, was transferred to quarantine for medical observation on Monday morning after his grandfather had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Afterwards, according to last night’s announcement, the 17-year-old boy tested negative for COVID-19 in two follow-up nucleic acid tests. However, the boy came down with a slight sore throat yesterday morning, after which his COVID-19 infection was confirmed by a nucleic acid test.
Last night’s announcement by the centre underlined that the cycle threshold (CT) value of the 17-year-old boy’s nucleic acid test indicated that his infection was detected “in the early stage”, i.e., he has been infected with the novel coronavirus for just a short period of time.
According to local media reports on Monday, the 17-year-old boy is also a student of Pui Ching Middle School, where he studies in F6.
Patron of same restaurant
The second case reported last night is a local man, also aged 74, who had had breakfast at the same restaurant as the cabbie at the same times for several days. The restaurant, San Tong Kei, is located near the cabbie’s home.
According to last night’s announcement, the 74-year-old man, a retiree, was transferred to quarantine on Monday evening after he had been identified as having visited the same restaurant as the cabbie at the same time. The 74-year-old retiree tested negative for COVID-19 in a follow-up nucleic acid test on Monday night, but he tested positive in another nucleic acid test yesterday afternoon. The man had not come down with any COVID-19 symptoms as of last night.
Last night’s announcement by the centre also said that the CT value of the 74-year-old retiree’s latest NAT result indicated that his infection was also detected “in the early stage”.
Both cases announced last night have been transferred to the Health Bureau’s Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane for isolation treatment.
3rd case linked to cabbie, also same eatery patron
The case announced by the centre in the early hours of today is a 69-year-old local man, also a retiree, who had also had breakfast at San Tong Kei at the same time as the cabbie on several days.
According to the centre’s statement in the early hours of today, the 69-year-old man self-tested for COVID-19 with an RAT kit on Monday afternoon when he suffered from fatigue, but he came up with a negative result. However, the man’s fatigue continued yesterday, and he self-tested again with an RAT kit yesterday afternoon when he came down with a cough and had a positive RAT result.
Consequently, the 69-year-old man was transferred to the public hospital for a follow-up nucleic acid test, where he had a positive COVID-19 result.
The 69-year-old man has meanwhile been transferred to the Public Health Clinical Centre for isolation treatment. His wife has also been transferred to quarantine for medical observation.
In addition, the statement said, the building where the man and his wife live has now been listed a Red Code Zone, Tim Seng Building on Travessa de Tomás Vieira, which is located near the cabbie’s home.
A police officer stands outside the San Tong Kei restaurant on Estrada do Repouso on Monday afternoon, which was then locked down after a cabbie who had had breakfasts there was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday morning. – Photo courtesy of TDM
