Macau’s COVID-19 death toll has risen to 30, after seven people died of the novel coronavirus disease on Monday.
It was the highest number of new COVID-19 fatalities reported in a day since Macau’s first COVID-19 deaths were confirmed in July this year, and also the highest since the Macau government switched to an adjusted anti-COVID-19 approach about 20 days ago that implicitly allows constant transmissions of the novel coronavirus in the community.
The seven cases, which were announced in a Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre statement yesterday, broke the record of daily new fatalities of three recorded on Monday last week.
According to yesterday’s statement, the seven victims, one male and six females, aged between 79 and 103, had all suffered from underlying diseases.
While three of the seven fatalities had not been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, one had received two COVID-19 jabs, and the other three had received three shots each.
From Tuesday last week to Sunday, the daily new numbers of COVID-19 fatalities recorded were one, one, one, zero, two, and two, according to previous statements by the centre.
Five of the seven fatalities reported from Tuesday last week to Sunday, aged between 72 and 95, had suffered from underlying diseases.
Among the seven fatalities reported from Tuesday last week to Sunday, two had not been inoculated against COVID-19, one had received one jab, one had received two jabs, two had received three jabs, and one had received four jabs.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s statement also announced that 74 new patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease were admitted to the Health Bureau’s (SSM) isolation and treatment facilities on Monday.
From Tuesday last week to Sunday, according to previous statements by the centre, the new number of patients daily admitted to the Health Bureau’s isolation and treatment facilities were 96, 64, 32, 50, 49, and 34.
Macau axes quarantine for all arrivals
Meanwhile, those arriving in Macau from Hong Kong, Taiwan or foreign countries have no longer been required to undergo home quarantine since Friday last week.
The Macau government’s decision to scrap its home quarantine requirement for arrivals from the two Chinese regions and foreign countries was announced in a statement by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre on Thursday night last week.
The further relaxed entry measure, which took effect at 00:00 a.m. on Friday last week, came after the Macau government had just scrapped its long-running mandatory hotel quarantine for arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan as well as foreign countries on December 17.
According to the new measure that took effect on Friday last week, those arriving in Macau from Hong Kong, Taiwan or foreign countries will have a yellow Macau Health Code, which requires them to merely practise five days of self-health management.
For five consecutive days from the next day of entry, the arrivals must undergo a COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT, aka self-test) every day and upload the result to the Health Bureau’s RAT declaration website.
According to last Friday’s statement, those who have tested negative for COVID-19 in all daily self-tests on the five consecutive days will have their health code convert to green.
According to the new measure, the arrivals are only required to display a 72-hour negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result when boarding a Macau-bound aeroplane, ferry or vehicle. They are no longer required to undergo any nucleic acid tests upon arrival in Macau and during their stay here.
Those who have self-tested positive for COVID-19 during the five-day period will have their health code turn to red, which requires them to undergo home isolation.
However, according to the new measure that started on Friday last week, arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan and foreign countries can only enter the Chinese mainland nine days after arriving in Macau.
Currently, those entering most types of public venues in Macau, including restaurants, are generally no longer required to present a Macau Health Code. Only those entering four types of public venues, namely government offices, health facilities, social service facilities (including day nurseries) and schools are still required to present a green Macau Health Code.
Those entering casinos are generally still required to generate and present a Macau Health Code, but those with a yellow health code, as well as those with a green health code, are currently also allowed to enter gaming premises.
1/6 of population infected as of late last week: Ao Ieong
Meanwhile, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U told reporters on Friday last week that the local government estimated that one sixth of Macau’s population had already been infected with COVID-19 at that time. She also said on Friday last week that a quarter of the Health Bureau’s healthcare workers had already been infected with the novel coronavirus at that time.
Ao Ieong underlined on Friday last week that the current COVID-19 transmissions were occurring in line with the local government’s expectations, adding that “it is not an exponential outbreak”.
Meanwhile, the government also announced last week that Macau’s current primary and secondary school holiday will be extended to January 9 in response to the current COVID-19 wave, which came after the government relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions about 20 days ago.
No more NATs
Meanwhile, the government yesterday cancelled all its regular mandatory nucleic acid tests for all those working in occupations and professions that are potentially subject to a higher risk of getting infected with the novel coronavirus, as well as all other groups of people subject to a higher COVID-19 risk.
According to the new measure, which was announced in a statement on Monday, the government has also cancelled its booking system for free nucleic acid tests for those who suspect that they might have been infected with COVID-19. Monday’s statement said that people who suspect that they might have been infected are only required to self-test themselves with a rapid antigen test (RAT) kit.
This handout photo released by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday shows healthcare staff working earlier this week in a temporary stay area for those admitted to the emergency department of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, which has converted a part of its outpatient department into the temporary stay area.
