Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou revealed that a Filipina who works as a domestic helper in Macau and returned to her home country on June 29 has tested positive for COVID-19 there.
Leong also said that the family of four – the maid’s employer – and four non-resident workers who were sharing a bedroom with the Filipina in the same boarding-house have been transferred to quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”.
Leong stressed that her bureau has determined that the Filipina has been infected with the novel coronavirus disease in her home country rather than in Macau, adding that the quarantine imposed on the eight people in Macau was merely a “just in case” measure.
Leong said that the Filipina’s employer called the hotline of the government’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre yesterday morning, saying that her domestic helper flew from Macau to Manila on a chartered plane on June 29 and told him over the phone yesterday morning that she has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease in her home country.
Leong said that therefore her bureau immediately arranged for the employer and his three family members, as well as four non-resident workers who were sharing a bedroom with the Filipina in a flat used as a boarding-house, to undergo a nucleic acid test (NAT) each, adding that all of them have tested negative for COVID-19.
Leong said that after considering the time when the Filipina was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease and the COVID-19 situation in Macau and the Philippines, her bureau has concluded that the probability of the Filipina having been infected in her home country was high.
Nevertheless, the Health Bureau still decided to transfer the eight people to quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels” as a “just in case” measure, Leong said, adding that their quarantine period will end 14 days from the date the Filipina left Macau. Leong also said that the eight people will undergo another nucleic acid test (NAT) each shortly before their quarantine period ends.
Leong said that her bureau was contacting the other four non-resident workers who sleep in another bedroom in the boarding-house to arrange for them to undergo a nucleic acid test each as well. Leong said that if they test negative for COVID-19, her bureau will require them to practise “self-health management”, adding that they will not have to undergo hotel quarantine as they had “hardly” been in touch with the Filipina in the flat.
Leong said that the Macau Health Bureau has contacted the Philippine health authorities asking them about the details of the case.
Meanwhile, Leong also said that the health authorities in Manila still have to provide the Macau Health Bureau with follow-up information on the case in which a 29-year-old pregnant Filipina who flew from Macau to Manila on June 18 was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus disease in the province of Davao de Oro last Thursday. Leong said that therefore her bureau was still unable to contact her so that it still did not know her travel history in Macau before returning to her home country and the contact information of the people in Macau with whom she had been in touch.
Tightened measures for elderly care home visits
Meanwhile, Choi Sio Un, who heads the Social Solidarity Department of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), announced during yesterday’s press conference that the local government has tightened arrangements for family members to visit those in the city’s elderly care homes, in the wake of a number of COVID-19 cases that have been newly confirmed in such homes in Hong Kong.
Choi said that while Macau has never confirmed any COVID-19 case in its elderly care homes and social service facilities, the new measures were needed due to Hong Kong’s latest COVID-19 situation.
According to Choi, family members initially had only been allowed to visit the relatives in elderly care homes’ designated areas after the COVID-19 epidemic emerged in Macau early this year. Afterwards when Macau’s COVID-19 epidemic situation began to ease, family members were allowed to visit their infirm relatives in their elderly care home bedrooms.
Choi said that in response to Hong Kong’s latest situation, family members again are only allowed to visit their relatives in elderly care homes’ designated areas, adding that his bureau has informed the city’s elderly care homes of the new tightened visit measures. Choi also said that under the new measures, the elderly care homes will arrange family members to meet their infirm relatives who are unable to leave their bedroom by online video only.
‘Quarantine + NAT’ model very effective
Meanwhile, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre pointed out that Macau has neither confirmed a new COVID-19 case for 12 consecutive days nor a new local COVID-19 case for 101 consecutive days.
Lo also said that the Macau government was paying close attention to the situation in which Hong Kong this week confirmed “many” new local COVID-19 cases, and Macau therefore has strengthened its COVID-19 prevention and control measures accordingly.
Lo pointed out that all arrivals who have been in Hong Kong within the 14 days prior to their entry into Macau must undergo 14 days of quarantine and medical observation at one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”, during which they have to undergo two nucleic acid tests. Lo said that the local government’s “hotel quarantine plus NAT” model has proven very effective in freeing Macau from COVID-19 risk.
When asked whether Hong Kong’s latest COVID-19 situation will affect the ongoing discussions on the possible gradual relaxation of the current border entry curbs and quarantine measures between the two special administrative regions, Lo said that the entry curbs between the two cities could only be relaxed when their respective COVID-19 situations are similar.
Meanwhile, Lau Fong Chi from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said that the special ferry link between Macau and Hong Kong’s airport will stop next Thursday as scheduled.
Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou (right) speaks during yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, as Choi Sio Un (left), who heads the Social Welfare Bureau’s (IAS) Social Solidarity Department, and Alvis Lo Iek Long, one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, looks on. Photo: Tony Wong
