The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre annnounced tonight Macau's 20th novel coronavirus (COVID-19) case, a 20-year-old local resident studying in Warwick, UK.
According to a statement by the centre, the man departed on March 16 on British Airways flight BA27 (seat 64B) from London's Heathrow Airport to Hong Kong, where he arrived on the following day. From there he took a taxi to the Hong Kong border checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) and continued his trip to Macau on a "Golden Bus". Upon arrival he was taken from the Macau border checkpoint to the Golden Crown China Hotel for 14-day medical observation required for all those arriving from a foreign country.
After tests conducted today confirmed his COVID-19 infection, he was transferred from the hotel to the isolation ward of the Conde de S. Januario Hospital Centre.
The statement described his condition as "normal, showing no signs of illness whatsover."
7th 'quarantine hotel' opens
Meanwile, the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced tonight that the government has started to temporarily use the 89-room "San Tung Fong Commercial Inn, South Wing" as its seventh hotel designated for medical observation.
The inn is located in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, the city's main thoroughfare.
According to the statement, "the government will continue to look for more hotels that can be converted into venues for medical observation" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While local residents quarantined at the designated hotels stay there free of charge, non-locals' stay is at their own expense. The seven designated hotels provide around 1,700 rooms in total, according to MGTO data.
