Addressing yesterday’s daily press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, said that for the time being it was “not very meaningful” for the local government to carry out population-wide testing for COVID-19, as the spread of the highly infectious disease is not happening in the community, adding that the widespread testing for the disease would require the use of huge human and material resources.
Lo also said that instead it was more effective for every resident to regard everybody whom they meet or are in touch with as a possible asymptomatic carrier of the disease and to fully adhere to the COVID-19 protection measures accordingly.
Macau has confirmed 41 COVID-19 patients. Macau’s “first wave” 10 patients – comprising seven tourists from Wuhan and three locals – have been discharged. All the 31 patients in the “second wave” – which began on March 15 – are still undergoing treatment. All the 31 cases in the current “second wave” have been classified as imported, most of them local students returning from overseas.
Lo, also a consultant pulmonologist at the public hospital, pointed out that so far all the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Macau’s “second wave” are imported cases, adding that most of the COVID-19 patients are those who were found to have COVID-19 symptoms upon arrival at the city’s border checkpoints or who were diagnosed with the disease during their 14-day quarantine at home or at a government-designated hotel (“quarantine hotel”). Lo said that consequently the health authorities currently do not expect the novel coronavirus disease to spread in the local community, at least for the time being.
Lo noted that it would be impossible for the local health authorities to carry out a COVID-19 test for everyone in the city, adding there was no guarantee that those who have undergone a COVID-19 test would not be diagnosed or infected with the disease later on. Lo said that consequently it would “not be very meaningful” to carry out community-wide testing for COVID-19.
Lo pointed out that the local health authorities launched COVID-19 testing for the city’s casino shuttle bus drivers after a casino shuttle bus driver – Macau’s 10th confirmed COVID-19 patient – was diagnosed with the disease during Macau’s “first wave” of the COVID infection – which lasted from January 22 to February 4, adding that all of the about 400 casino shuttle bus drivers who took part in the testing at that time tested negative for COVID-19. Lo said that with reference to this experience, the local health authorities determined that to carry out a novel coronavirus test for all those without COVID-19 symptoms would not be an effective use of resources.
According to previous government announcements, a total of 392 casino shuttle bus drivers underwent a COVID-19 test in February, with all the results negative. There are reportedly some 1,000 casino shuttle bus drivers in Macau.
During yesterday’s press conference, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou pointed out that the local health authorities have been carrying out nucleic acid tests for all those returning from COVID-19-high-prevalence countries and regions. Leong said that the too many resources would need to be used if the health authorities decided to carry out COVID-19 test for residents who have not left Macau or have not visited COVID-19-high-prevalence areas, which she said would be a wasteful use of resources. Leong said that instead resources should be allocated for medical staff members to fight the COVID-19 threat.
Alvis Lo Iek Long, one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, addresses yesterday’s press conference at the Health Bureau (SSM) about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation.Photo: GCS
Meanwhile, Lo also said that of the currently 31 COVID-19 patients in Macau, 14 have so far shown only a few or no symptoms at all, while 16 have shows symptoms of pneumonia.
Just one of the 31 cases, a 50-year-old local woman, has been classified as “serious.”
8th round of facemask sales starts today
Meanwhile, Lo announced yesterday that the government will launch the eighth round of its facemask purchase scheme – at the fixed price of eight patacas for 10 facemasks for local residents and non-resident workers – today.
As in the five previous rounds, the eighth round also includes facemasks tailor-made for children.
Under the scheme, which was first launched by the government on January 23, each local resident and non-resident worker is entitled to buy 10 facemasks at the fixed price of eight patacas every 10 days at designated outlets upon presentation of their original Macau ID card or work permit (informally known as “blue card”).
The sale of child facemasks was launched in the third round – which ran from February 12-21 – of the government’s facemask purchase scheme.
In the eighth round starting today the arrangement for the sale of children’s facemasks is the same as in the five previous rounds. Parents or legal guardians can only buy five child facemasks with the child’s ID cards, with the remaining five for adult facemasks, or alternatively they can choose to use the whole quota of 10 for adult facemasks. The facemasks for children are only for kids aged between three and eight.
Unchanged from the previous round, there are 84 outlets for the eighth round which starts today, comprising 56 designated pharmacies, eight health centres in Macau and Taipa and two health stations in Coloane run by the Health Bureau, as well as 18 co-called service points run by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen), Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (Kai Fong) and Macau Women’s General Association (Fu Luen).
Child facemasks are only sold at the bureau’s health centres and health stations. The price of child facemasks is the same as for adult facemasks.
Lo said that six million facemasks were sold during the previous round of the government’s facemask purchase scheme. Since the launch of the scheme, 40 million facemasks have been sold so far.
