Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Lei Tak Fai, who heads the Public Relations Division of the Public Security Police (PSP), announced that two Hong Kong men who were undergoing their 14-day quarantine at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Cotai left their respective guestrooms for a chat in the corridor on Sunday – thereby breaching Macau’s official quarantine rules, adding that the case has been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further investigation.
Both face up to six months behind bars.
Lei identified the two men as a 22-year-old surnamed Lai and a 32-year-old surnamed Fong. They are cousins.
According to Lei, the two men, who both started their 14-day medical observation at the hotel on July 23, were discovered by a security guard shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday chatting in the corridor after having left their respective guestrooms.
Lei said that the police have concluded that the two men have breached the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and therefore decided to transfer the case to the Public Prosecution Office. The authorities have meanwhile imposed “mandatory quarantine” on the duo, Lei said.
Lei urged those who are undergoing quarantine to always obey the Macau government’s COVID-19 prevention measures and not to take risks by expecting that they won’t be caught. Lei underlined that according to the Law on the Prevention, Control and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, those found to have breached the official quarantine rules will be held criminally responsible and face a prison term of up to six months.
According to previous government announcements, the two Hong Kong men’s case came after a 40-year-old Hong Kong woman who was undergoing her 14-day quarantine also at the Sheraton Grand hotel left her guestroom on the 10th floor on Tuesday last week and went up to the 15th floor by walking up the stairs. The woman got daily necessities from another woman outside the latter’s guestroom on the 15th floor. The incident was discovered by a security guard on patrol, who then escorted the 40-year-old woman back to her guestroom on the 10th floor. The woman who was undergoing quarantine on the 15th floor did not leave her guestroom when she was handing the items to the 40-year-old woman, whose case has also been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office for further investigation.
Govt rebooks Treasure Hotel
Meanwhile, Lau Fong Chi, who heads the Public Relations Division of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), announced during yesterday’s press conference that the government has rebooked the 450-room Treasure Hotel, which is located opposite the airport in Taipa, as a “quarantine hotel”.
This came after the government rebooked the 300-room Golden Crown China Hotel, which is adjacent to the Treasure Hotel, on Saturday.
The government announced on Friday that a section of the Sheraton Grand hotel in Cotai, one of the government’s “quarantine hotels”, will return to its normal hospitality role no later than August 14, after everyone has completed their 14-day quarantine and medical observation there. The section of the Sheraton Grand hotel comprising 2,000 rooms is officially known as a “special isolated area”.
Consequently, there are now four government-arranged “quarantine hotels” – Treasure Hotel, Golden Crown China Hotel, the “special isolated area” of the Sheraton Grand hotel, as well as the 298-room Pousada Marina Infante hotel in Cotai.
There were 12 “quarantine hotels” at the local COVID-19 peak in late March.
The section of the Sheraton Grand hotel had returned to its normal hospitality role in April, before the government rebooked it as a “quarantine hotel” in early June.
The Treasure Hotel and the Golden Crown China Hotel returned to their normal hospitality roles in early and late April respectively, after all those who completed their 14-day quarantine and medical observation had checked out.
Hotel London for HK-Macau cargo ship crew members
Meanwhile, Lau also announced that the government has booked the 46-room Hotel London in the Inner Harbour area for its “closed-loop management” for crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route. Lau said that the government has decided to book the hotel, which is located in Praça de Ponte e Horta, for the crew members during their stay in Macau because it is close to the pier where they normally board their Hong Kong-bound vessels.
Lau said that Health Bureau (SSM) officials have inspected Hotel London and determined that it meets the official COVID-19 prevention requirements. Lau said that the government will only arrange for the Hong Kong-Macau cargo ship crew members to stay at Hotel London, but not for others undergoing their 14-day quarantine and medical observation. Hotel London is known as Ying Ging in Cantonese.
The Macau government announced on Monday that it has now implemented “closed-loop management” for crew members of cargo ships plying the Hong Kong-Macau route during their stay in Macau, according to which upon going ashore in Macau they will be transported by special vehicles to a “designated” hotel. They must stay in their guestroom until they go to work again when they will be transported by special vehicles back to the pier to board their Hong Kong-bound vessels.
Meanwhile, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said during yesterday’s press conference that 42 crew members from five cargo ships are currently commuting between Hong Kong and Macau. Leong said that nine crew members chose to go ashore and stay at Hotel London on Tuesday – the first day of the “closed-loop management” measure, while the other crew members chose to stay on their respective vessels.
Meanwhile, Leong also said that 10,118 people have undergone 14-day quarantine and medical observation since early this year. A total of 1,195 were in quarantine on Tuesday.
Macau has not confirmed a new COVID-19 case for 40 days.
Lei Tak Fai, who heads the Public Security Police’s (PSP) Public Relations Division, addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS
