The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement yesterday that the government’s 11th round of its rapid antigen test (RAT) kit purchase scheme will start on Friday.
As in previous rounds, the 11th round of the programme will run for 14 days, between Friday and April 27, during which each local resident, non-resident worker and non-local student enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions will be entitled to buy a total of 10 RAT kits at the fixed price of 40 patacas at designated outlets, i.e., four patacas per kit.
According to the statement, COVID-19 RAT kits provided by the programme’s 11th round will be sold at 55 designated pharmacies, five venues run by the Macau Women’s General Association (known as Fu Luen in Cantonese), and five venues run by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen).
The statement reminded the public that buyers can return defective RAT kits that have been purchased through the programme to public health centres, and change them for new ones.
The Macau government rolled out the programme in early December, enabling local residents, non-resident workers, and non-local students enrolled in Macau’s higher education institutions to buy RAT kits used for COVID-19 self-tests from designated outlets at a discounted price.
No COVID-19 deaths for 67 days
Meanwhile, Macau had not recorded any COVID-19 fatalities for 67 days in a row, from February 3 to April 10, according to a separate statement by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre yesterday, which announced that no fatalities were recorded on Monday.
Consequently, Macau’s official COVID-19 death toll has remained unchanged at 121.
No new patients for 19 days
Moreover, no new COVID-19 patients have been recorded for 19 consecutive days, from March 23 to Monday, after one new patient diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease was admitted to the Health Bureau’s isolation and treatment facility on March 22.
According to the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 website, as of Monday Macau’s official cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 3,515, of which 3,393 had meanwhile been cured.
COVID-19 infection rate of 1 pct
Meanwhile, the Health Bureau said on Monday that according to its real-time monitoring data, Macau’s COVID-19 infection rate has remained at a low level since early this year after the city suffered its first peak of widespread COVID-19 infections in December last year.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Lei Wai Seng, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, noted that the hospital has been asking those seeking treatment at its emergency department with a fever or other respiratory symptoms to undergo tests. According to Dr Lei, the hospital’s data has indicated that on average one of 100 seeking treatment at the emergency department has been diagnosed with COVID-19, representing an infection rate of one percent.
Currently, Dr Lei said, COVID-19 patients seeking treatment at the public hospital’s emergency department have normally come down with symptoms similar to influenza. Dr Lei noted that the peak of widespread infections in December last year has resulted in a relatively high level of immunity against COVID-19 in the population in general, because of which, he said, those reinfected with the novel coronavirus currently would less likely come down with serious conditions or complications.
However, Dr Lei said that the possible adverse impact of COVID-19 infections on Macau’s civil society should not be ignored because of the fact that a certain percentage of the population has still never been infected with the novel coronavirus.
No more COVID-19 tests for arrivals from foreign countries
Meanwhile, the Macau government scrapped all COVID-19 testing requirements for those arriving from foreign countries on April 1, according to the Health Bureau’s COVID-19 website.
The Macau government has not made any announcements about the cancellation, such as in the form of a statement.
While the Macau government cancelled all COVID-19 testing requirements for those arriving from the mainland, Hong Kong or Taiwan on January 8, since then arrivals from foreign countries had still been required to display a 48-hour negative nucleic acid test (NAT) or rapid antigen test (RAT) result when embarking on their trip to Macau, before April 1.
Consequently, arrivals are no longer required to display a COVID-19 test result.
This undated handout photo taken from the Hong Kong government’s COVID-19 special website yesterday shows a COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kit.
