3 days of self-tests for all, except those below 3
Macau yesterday reported two new COVID-19 cases that were not related to the current cluster that started with a taxi driver, whose COVID-19 infection was announced on Monday, and the two new cases comprise a man who works at a pier in the Inner Harbour and had recently visited Zhuhai, and his wife who works as a human resources (HR) clerk at Wynn Palace in Cotai.
The two cases were announced by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre last night.
The first of the two cases is a 36-year-old male mainlander who works at a pier near Barra and lives in Block 3 of the Cerese residential estate on Avenida do Coronel Mesquita. He tested negative for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test (NAT) on Saturday and Sunday. He visited Zhuhai on Sunday and Monday.
However, according to last night’s announcement, the man self-tested for COVID-19 with a rapid antigen test (RAT) kit yesterday morning when he felt unwell and had a positive RAT result. Consequently, he was transferred to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for a follow-up nucleic acid test, where he came up with a positive COVID-19 result.
Wife also tests positive
The second case is the man’s wife, a 29-year-old local resident, who works as a HR clerk at Wynn Palace. After her husband self-tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday morning, she was also transferred to the public hospital for a follow-up NAT, where she also registered a positive result. She had not come down with any COVID-19 symptoms as of last night.
The couple have meanwhile been transferred to the England Marina Club Hotel in Cotai for isolation treatment, last night’s announcement said.
Both cases have been classified as connected to an imported case.
Last night’s announcement said that the building where the couple live has been listed as a Red Code Zone, Block 3 of the Cerese residential estate.
6 more cases linked to cabbie
Meanwhile, Macau yesterday also reported five more COVID-19 cases related to the cabbie’s cluster. The five cases were announced in various statements yesterday from the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre. Some of the five cases were connected to the San Tong Kei restaurant that had been visited by the cabbie before he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday. The restaurant is located near the cabbie’s home.
Furthermore, the centre announced in the early hours of today that one more COVID-19 case linked to the cabbie’s cluster 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 and lives with him, and a couple who are relatives of the cabbie. Before yesterday’s announcement of the five additional cases, three cases connected to the cabbie’s case had been reported, comprising the cabbie’s other grandson aged 17 who lives with him, and two men who had also visited San Tong Kei at the same times as the cabbie.
The five COVID-19 patients or carriers announced yesterday, as well as the one announced in the early hours of today, have meanwhile been transferred to the Health Bureau’s Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane for isolation treatment. All six cases have been classified as connected to imported cases.
The first case of the five additional cases announced yesterday is a 62-year-old local woman who works part-time at San Tong Kei, which is located near the private Kiang Wu Hospital.
According to yesterday’s announcement, the 62-year-old woman self-tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test yesterday morning, because of which she was transferred to the public hospital for a follow-up test, where she came up with a positive result. The woman has come down with a headache. Her husband has been transferred to quarantine for medical observation. The couple live in a building on Calçada das Verdades, which is located near Mount Fortress. However, the centre did not say yesterday whether the building has been listed as a Red Code Zone.
According to yesterday’s announcement, the 62-year-old woman also works part-time at the canteen of the kindergarten run by Tong Nam School, which is located opposite the 74-year-old cabbie’s home on Rua do Almirante Costa Cabral. Students, teachers and other staff members of the kindergarten are now required to comply with different levels of special COVID-19 measures depending on their respective contact situations with the 62-year-old woman.
The second of the five additional cases announced yesterday is the wife of a 69-year-old man whose COVID-19 infection was announced in the early hours of yesterday. The 69-year-old man’s case was related to the cabbie’s cluster. His wife, aged 68, who had been transferred to quarantine, tested positive for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test yesterday. The woman has come down with fatigue. The woman had always stayed at home as she is chronically ill, yesterday’s announcement said.
The third of the five additional cases announced yesterday is a 77-year-old local man who had also visited the San Tong Kei restaurant. Yesterday’s announcement said that the man, a retiree, had not been transferred to quarantine after the cabbie’s COVID-19 detection on Monday as the Health Bureau (SSM) had been unable to identify him as having visited the restaurant because he had always paid for meals at the restaurant in cash instead of electronic payments.
The 77-year-old man self-tested positive for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test yesterday morning, because of which he was transferred to the public hospital for a follow-up test, where he had a positive result. He had not come down with any COVID-19 symptoms as of last night. His family members have been transferred to quarantine for medical observation.
The 77-year-old man lives in a building near the San Tong Kei restaurant. However, the centre did not say yesterday whether the building has been listed as a Red Code Zone.
According to yesterday’s announcement, the fourth and fifth cases are two local women who had already started quarantine for medical observation on Monday following the cabbie’s COVID-19 detection.
The fourth case is a 69-year-old female retiree who lives in the same building as the cabbie, Kuan Wai Building on Rua do Almirante Costa Cabral, which was locked down on Monday afternoon. She came down with a slight cough yesterday morning, and tested positive for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test.
The fifth case is the cabbie’s wife, a 70-year-old housewife. She came down with a slight sore throat on Tuesday night, before testing positive for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test yesterday.
The case linked to the cabbie’s cluster announced in the early hours of today is a local man who had also visited the San Tong Kei restaurant. The man, also aged 74, was already transferred to quarantine on Monday night following the cabbie’s COVID-19 detection that morning. The man, who has not come down with any COVID-19 symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19 in a nucleic acid test yesterday.
Self-testing campaign aims to screen potential community risk
Meanwhile, the Macau government announced yesterday morning that everyone in Macau, except those aged below three, must self-test for COVID-19 with an RAT kit for three consecutive days. The three-day RAT drive, which started yesterday, will end tomorrow.
Yesterday morning’s statement said that the three-day self-testing campaign aims to rule out the possibility of hidden COVID-19 cases spreading in the community, in the wake of the fact that “many” COVID-19 cases connected to imported cases have been reported since Monday.
The statement also said that those who have undergone a nucleic acid test are exempted from self-testing on the day of undergoing the nucleic acid test. The statement also reminded that those failing to comply with the self-testing requirement will have their Macau Health Code turn yellow.
24-hour NAT validity for Macau-Zhuhai travellers to continue for 7 more days
Meanwhile, the 24-hour validity of the negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (NAT) result for those travelling between Macau and Zhuhai, which was slated to end at 11:59 p.m. yesterday, has now been extended for seven more days until Wednesday next week. The seven-day extension was announced by Zhuhai’s health authorities in a statement yesterday.
Yesterday’s statement said that the two cities have decided to extend the 24-hour-validity measure for seven more days after considering the ongoing COVID-19 situation in both cities. The seven-day extension is now slated to end at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday next week.
NAT campaign for 2 areas
Meanwhile, the government also announced yesterday all those who live or work in the vicinity of the cabbie’s home, and all those who live or work in the vicinity of Pui Ching Middle School, where the cabbie’s two grandsons study, are required to undergo three nucleic acid tests in five days between yesterday and Sunday.
Those aged below three are exempted from the ongoing five-day NAT campaign for the two high-risk key areas.
Details about the two key areas in English can be checked at: https://www.gov.mo/en/news/288311/.
Security supervisor working in Macau tests positive for COVID-19 in Zhuhai
Meanwhile, the Macau government also announced last night that a male non-resident worker who works as a security supervisor of a residential building in Taipa and lives in Zhuhai tested positive for COVID-19 in Zhuhai on Tuesday night.
Last night’s announcement said that the man, aged 44, works at Block 29 of the Nova Taipa Garden residential estate. Zhuhai’s health authorities informed their Macau counterparts of the case yesterday morning.
According to official data, Macau’s COVID-19 tally of confirmed and asymptomatic cases stood at 799 and 1,931 yesterday respectively, of which 790 and 1,881 had meanwhile been cured. The death toll remained at six.
Police officers prepare to lock down Block 3 of the Cerese residential estate on Avenida do Coronel Mesquita last night. – Photo courtesy of Macao Daily News
