4 more imported cases raise COVID-19 total to 17 in 2 days
The local government last night ordered a blanket ban on the entry of foreign non-resident workers into Macau, starting from 00:00 today, with the aim of stemming the further spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Macau.
A statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night said that the entry ban aimed to prevent imported COVID-19 cases and protect Macau residents’ health, pointing out that the novel coronavirus disease is constantly spreading across the world.
An executive order signed by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and published in the Official Gazette (BO) last night stipulates that with effect from 00:00 today, all non-resident workers are barred from entering the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), except those who are mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan residents, in order to stem the further spread of the novel coronavirus disease in Macau.
The decision is based on the national “One China” policy according to which China comprises the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. Accordingly, non-resident workers from the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong are compatriots in Macau, not “foreign” workers.
The order is based on Article 25 of the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.
The executive order also states that in the public interest, namely for the prevention, control and treatment of diseases, aid and emergency measures, and ensuring Macau’s normal operation and the provision of daily necessities for residents, Macau’s health authorities can in exceptional cases lift the entry ban on foreign non-resident workers.
According to data from the Macau Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), at the end of January the number of non-resident workers stood at 193,498. Foreign nationals (mostly Filipinos, Vietnamese, Indonesians, Nepalese and Myanmarese) accounted for 35.5 percent of the total number. Mainland Chinese (118,667), Hongkongers (4,456) and Taiwanese (1,689) accounted for the remaining 64.5 percent.
Informally, non-resident workers are known as “blue card holders”. As non-resident workers also include senior management staff, technicians and professionals, not all of them are migrant workers.
The entry ban on foreign non-resident workers took effect immediately after midnight last night.
Last night’s announcement of the foreign non-resident worker entry ban came after the local government confirmed two new COVID-19 cases yesterday – Macau’s 14th and 15th COVID-19 cases, a 42-year-old woman from Indonesia and a 31-year-old Filipino hotel waiter respectively. Both have been classified as imported cases.
Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou (right) and Lei Wai Seng, one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, pose during yesterday’s press conference at the bureau about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
2 more cases confirmed after midnight
The local government confirmed two more new COVID-19 cases in the early hours of today – Macau’s 16th and 17th COVID-19 cases.
Following the four new cases, Macau has so far confirmed 17 COVID-19 cases since January 22, when the first case was diagnosed.
According to a statement by the government’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre shortly after midday yesterday, the 42-year-old woman is a relative of a local non-resident worker from Indonesia. The woman departed from Jakarta on Tuesday on Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight CX718 in seat No. 47F. She arrived in Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB). At the Macau checkpoint of the bridge Health Bureau (SSM) officials detected that she had a fever, after which she was taken to the special emergency ward of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for a medical examination.
According to the statement, the patient was classified as a “moderate risk case”. After she had received initial treatment and staff had collected a sample for a COVID-19 test, she was driven by her husband to their home where she remained. After her COVID-19 infection had been confirmed, she was taken to the public hospital’s isolation ward for treatment. The statement described her condition as “normal”.
According to a statement about the 15th COVID-19 case by the centre yesterday afternoon, the 31-year-old male non-resident worker worked in Macau until January 26, before visiting his family in the Philippines between 27 and March 15. He arrived in Macau from the Philippines via Hong Kong on Monday. He sought medical treatment for a toothache he had had for three days and a rash he had had for a day at the private Kiang Wu Hospital on Tuesday.
The hospital classified him as a “moderate risk case”. After he had received initial treatment and staff had collected a sample for a COVID-19 test, he returned to his home to wait for the result of the test.
After his COVID-19 infection was confirmed yesterday afternoon, he was taken to the public hospital’s isolation ward for treatment.
During yesterday’s daily press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, SSM Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said that Macau’s 14th COVID-19 patient – the 42-year-old woman from Indonesia – is a housewife who lives in the Prince Flower City estate in Taipa, while the 15th COVID-19 patient – the 31-year-old Filipino – lives in Rua do Padre António Roliz – a street near Avenida de Horta e Costa.
According to Leong, the 42-year-old patient returned to Jakarta from Macau with her husband and son on February 11.
According to Leong, the 31-year-old non-resident worker stayed at home most of the time since returning to Macau from the Philippines, apart from going to Kiang Wu Hospital for treatment and a pharmacy near his home to buy facemasks.
According to a statement about the 16th and 17th COVID-19 cases by the centre in the early hours of today, the 16th patient is a 19-year-old female Macau resident studying in the United Kingdom. She departed from London en route to Hong Kong via Singapore on Sunday, and arrived in Hong Kong on Monday, after which she returned to Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) in a privately-hired car. As she is a student returning from overseas, after arriving in Macau she went into 14-day home quarantine and medical staff collected a sample for a COVID-19 test. She “preliminarily” tested positive for the novel coronavirus yesterday afternoon, after she was taken to the public hospital for another COVID-19 test. She was confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus disease in the early hours of today, according to the statement, which described her condition as “normal”.
11-year-old boy becomes 17th patient
According to the statement, the 17th patient is an 11-year-old boy, a son of the 14th patient – the 42-year-old Indonesian woman. The statement pointed out that the boy returned to Macau with his parents on the Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight CX718. As the boy has been classified as having been in close contact with his mother, he underwent a COVID-19 test, according to the statement, which said that he was confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus disease in the early hours of today. He is undergoing treatment in the public hospital’s isolation ward, according to the statement, which described his condition as “normal”.
The statement said that the boy’s father has come down with a fever and has undergone a first COVID-19 test. The man will undergo a second test 48 hours after the first test, the statement said.
‘Golden Bus’ fever checks
Meanwhile, Leong announced during yesterday’s press conference that since yesterday afternoon, all passengers of the bus service between the Macau checkpoint and the Hong Kong checkpoint of the delta bridge (colloquially known as “Golden Bus” service) have to undergo a temperature check before being allowed to board the bus. Leong said that if a person’s temperature shows over 37.3 Celsius degrees, he or she will be transferred to the respective border checkpoint for follow-up action – at the Macau or Hong Kong side of the bridge.
Lei Wai Seng, a clinical director of the public hospital, said that all “Golden Bus” passengers will have to register their name for a seat in the bus in the near future, adding that the details on this measure will soon be announced by the Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT).
