Macau's Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced this morning two more novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing the total to 24.
According to two statements by the centre, the city's 23rd case is a 12-year-old local boy studying in the UK. The boy took Cathay Pacific flight CX254 on March 19 from London to Hong Kong where he arrived on the following day. He continued his trip to Macau by bus arranged by Macau's Tourism Crisis Management Office and upon arrival here was transferred to a designated hotel for medical observation ("quarantine hotel") in Coloane. The patient came down with a fever and other COVID-19 symptoms on Sunday. He was taken to the public Conde de S. Januario Hospital Centre where he tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He has been transferred to the isolation ward of the public hospital.
The 24th case is a local 21-year-old male student from the UK, who on Saturday took Cathay Pacific flight CX256 from London to Hong Kong. Upon arrival in Macau by bus via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) he told Health Bureau (SSM) officials at the border checkpoint that he had had a fever in the past 14 days. He was taken to the public hospital where tested positive for the novel coronavirus this morning. Macau confirmed its first COVID-19 case on January 22. Ten of the 24 patients - seven tourists from Wuhan and three locals - have meanwhile been discharged. The latest 14 cases have all been imported from overseas, mostly local students returning home.
34 million facemasks sold by govt
Meanwhile, the government's seventh 10-day round of facemask sales started today. The facemasks sold at designated pharmacies, health centres and community association outlets can be bought by residents and non-resident workers at the fixed price of 8 patacas (US$1) for 10 pieces. Once again, special facemasks are available for children aged between three and eight. Health Bureau officials say that kids under the age of three should not wear facemasks.
Facemasks are also available on the private market at commercial prices.
According to yesterday's daily press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre about the COVID-19 threat, the government has so far sold some 34 million facemasks. Macau had a population of 679,600 at the end of last year, according to the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC).
