EDITORIAL
Macau will turn another page in its successful fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) when the civil service will resume its “normal” functioning today after a nearly month-long hiatus.
Moreover, Macau’s non-gaming entertainment businesses such as bars and nightclubs have been allowed to reopen for business since last night after their government-ordered shutdown on February 5 as one of the government’s various measures to prevent the virus from spreading in one of the world’s most densely populated regions (20,550 inhabitants per square kilometre according to the latest available official data).
Most casinos have been back in business since February 20.
The fact that Macau recorded its last two COVID-19 cases on February 4 and that eight of the 10 novel coronavirus patients have meanwhile been discharged from hospital is ample proof that the government’s decision to shut down the gaming and non-gaming entertainment sector last month was right and effective – even though it hurt the pockets not only of the private sector but also the public coffers. The government’s income from gaming taxes has probably fallen nearly 90 percent.
The biggest mistake – and greatest danger – for all of us now would be to get complacent and let our guard down in the ongoing fight against a virus whose viciousness (if that’s the right word when talking about an infectious replicator) is unrelenting. We are not out of the woods yet, even though the mainland Chinese authorities’ battle against COVID-19 appears to be close to turning the corner.
For the commonweal, we must remain unremittingly committed to the most basic principle of fighting COVID-19: safety first!
That’s why the government’s decision to bring home dozens of Macau people stranded in the virus-stricken province of Hubei is a double-edged sword. I do share Health Bureau (SSM) Director Lei Chin Ion’s concern that the airlift is a high-risk operation for all those involved. If it goes well, it will be another successful chapter in Macau’s fight against the virus. If it goes awry by spreading the highly infectious virus here, it will throw a spanner in the works.
Well, as is preferable in this kind of intricate situation, let’s be cautious and optimistic – and also recognise the operation’s humanitarian aspects, but always heed the maxim of safety first.
Harald Brüning
