Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday that Macau reported 204 new COVID-19 cases related to the community on Sunday.
The 204 cases were detected between 00:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.
The 204 cases reported in day hit the previous highest record of daily new cases related to the community, on July 5 this year, when 146 cases were detected. Macau’s previous COVID-19 outbreak, colloquially known as 618 outbreak in Cantonese, began on June 18 and started to subside in late July.
Yesterday’s statement pointed out that as of 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Macau had reported a total of 541 COVID-19 cases involving the community since November 28, when Macau’s current situation began.
Yesterday’s statement said that the 204 new COVID-19 carriers or patients detected on Sunday comprise 97 females and 107 males, aged between 0 and 79. The statement said that 120 of them had been classified as asymptomatic cases, while the other 84 had been classified as confirmed cases because of having come down with COVID-19 symptoms.
According to the statement, six of the 204 cases were detected in hospitals or quarantine hotels used for COVID-19 medical observation, while the other 198 cases were directly detected in the community.
The 198 cases detected in the community, according to the statement, comprised one close contact, 61 detected by self-tests with a rapid antigen test (RAT) kit, 130 detected by tests carried out at nucleic acid test (NAT) sampling stations in Macau, six detected by tests carried out at NAT sampling stations in Zhuhai.
8 NAT sampling stations to become COVID-19 community clinics tomorrow
Meanwhile, the centre announced in a short statement last night that eight of the city’s several dozen NAT sampling stations will suspend operations from today, after which they will become community clinics designated for assessments of health conditions of COVID-19 carriers or patients, which will start operating tomorrow.
The government has indicated that about 20 COVID-19 community clinics will be operational from tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the centre also said in a statement yesterday that three of the about 20 community clinics started their trial run yesterday, before commencing their full operation tomorrow.
From tomorrow, those who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in an NAT or a rapid antigen test (RAT) may be able to undergo isolation at home, depending on the outcome of a self-health assessment to be submitted to the Health Bureau (SSM) via an e-platform.
The results will be indicated by a four-colour system: “green” means that the infected person will be able to quarantine at home; “yellow” requires the infectee to book an appointment at a designated community clinic for follow-up assessment; “orange” requires the infectee to seek assessment at the community treatment centre at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai; “red” means that the infected person will be transferred by ambulance to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for treatment.
The government has said that only those who have been assessed by doctors at community clinics or the community treatment centre as needing medical treatment will be transferred to hospital or quarantine facilities, while others will be able to undergo isolation at home.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U (second from left) is briefed yesterday about the operation of a COVID-19 community clinic, which started its trial run yesterday. About 20 COVID-19 community clinics will be operational from tomorrow. – Photo: GCS
