Macau's COVID-19 death toll reached 47 on New Year's Day, the novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre has announced.
The Health Bureau confirmed the city's first novel coronavirus case on January 22, 2020.
According to the centre, Macau's cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 2,615 yesterday, of which 1,803 had meanwhile been cured.
On New Year's Eve, the centre recorded 114 new cases, a decrease from the 145 cases recorded on Thursday and 124 cases recorded on Friday.
The local government has eased COVID-19 prevention and control measures since early last month, resulting in a wave of novel coronavirus infections. The government has said it expects the number of newly confirmed cases to start dropping early this month.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Iong U told reporters on Friday the government estimated that about 50 percent of the population had already been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Meanwhile, a study by the private Macau University Science and Technology (MUST) released late last week estimated that some 70 percent of Macau's COVID-19 infectees came down with a range of symptoms such as fever, cough and sore throat. The study also predicted a second peak of infections during the Chinese New Year period, which begins on January 22.
