Macau's secondary school teachers will be tested for the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) announced today.
DSEJ Vice-Director Kong Chi Meng announced the measure during the daily press conference by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre about the disease.
According to Kong, teachers and other secondary school staff members who live in Macau will undergo the nucleic acid test once, while local teachers and pupils commuting between Macau and Zhuhai will have to undergo the test every seven days.
The free tests will start on Monday. Kong said that the tests will be carried out in phases, 100 per hour, or up to 1,000 a day. He said the tests were expected to be completed before senior and junior secondary school classes begin on May 4 and 11 respectively. The secondary school teachers' tests are slated to be completed on Thursday next week, according to Kong.
Afterwards, the tests will be extended to other teachers. The bureau has not yet decided when primary, special needs and kindergarten classes will be resumed. Macau's schools have been closed since the Chinese New Year in late January.
Teachers, other local secondary school staff members and pupils commuting daily between Zhuhai and Macau will be tested in Zhuhai, according to Kong.
"Pupils' safety is the main concern of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau," Kong said.
17 still in hospital
Meanwhile, one more COVID-19 patient was discharged from the isolation ward of the public Conde de S. Januario Hospital Centre today, the Health Bureau (SSM) announced at today's press conference, bringing the number of novel coronavirus disease patients still in hospital down to 17.
The patient discharged today is a 52-year-old local resident who returned from the UK. He will now be quarantined for medical observation at the bureau's Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane.
Macau has not confirmed a new COVID-19 case for 17 days. Macau's first novel coronavirus case was confirmed on January 22. Almost all of Macau's 45 COVID-19 patients have been classified as imported cases, mostly local students who returned from their overseas studies such as in the US and UK. Unlike Hong Kong, Macau has been spared a community outbreak.
