Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, announced that Kiang Wu Hospital will join the government’s nucleic acid testing (NAT) programme on Monday, adding that 1,000 places for the COVID-19 testing per day will be available at the private hospital “in the first phase”.
According to Lo, from today people can make an appointment to undergo their nucleic acid tests at Kiang Wu Hospital, which will charge the same testing fee of 120 patacas as the other testing stations in the government’s NAT programme.
Lo also said Macau’s COVID-19 testing capability will be further raised from 23,000 to 24,000 people per day after Kiang Wu Hospital’s joining to the NAT scheme.
Macau’s COVID-19 testing capability was raised from 6,000 to 16,000 people per day in late June, and was further raised to 23,000 people per day early this month.
Lo also said that those undergoing their nucleic acid tests at Kiang Wu Hospital will have their sample collected via a nasopharyngeal swab.
The Macau government launched its nucleic acid testing (NAT) scheme on May 7 when its first and main testing station at the Taipa Ferry Terminal in Pac On started operating. The Health Bureau (SSM) has commissioned a third-party testing institution – Kuok Kim (Macau) Hygiene Examination Company Limited – to carry out COVID-19 testing there. A new testing station for the government’s NAT scheme, which is located at the Macau Forum complex in Zape, came into operation on July 21. The new Macau Forum testing station is temporarily being operated by the Health Bureau before it commissions a third-party testing institution to carry out COVID-19 testing there. The government has not said whether the same testing institution – Kuok Kim – or a new one will carry out the COVID-19 testing at the Macau Forum testing station.
Residents who plan to visit the mainland have to make an appointment online to be tested for COVID-19 under the Macau government’s NAT scheme so that they can present a NAT certificate confirming that they have tested negative for COVID-19 when entering the mainland. In addition to the COVID-19 testing at the Macau Forum testing station, the Health Bureau has been carrying out nucleic acid tests for certain groups of people such as confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients, those who have been in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, those with a fever or any respiratory symptoms, newly hospitalised patients, and those undergoing quarantine, as well as for those working in certain sectors and occupations such as teachers, social service facility staff members, fisherfolks, casino frontline workers, fish vendors, immigration officers, cross-border drivers, cargo ships and aeroplane crew members.
1st tests free for residents & blue card holders
Under the NAT scheme, the first test is free of charge for all Macau residents and non-resident workers (informally known as blue card holders), but follow-up tests cost 120 patacas each. However, all other kinds of travellers have to pay for each test – no fee exemption even for the first test.
The Health Bureau has been collecting samples from those undergoing their nucleic acid tests only via nasopharyngeal swabs, including the COVID-19 testing at the Macau Forum testing station. Those who want to have their sample collected via an oropharyngeal swab will have to undergo the tests at the Pac On testing station, which has been operated by Kuok Kim.
During yesterday’s press conference, Lo pointed out that from today residents can choose Kiang Wu Hospital on the NAT scheme’s online appointment system. Lo also said that the COVID-19 test results will be displayed on the Macau Health Code of those who have undergone their nucleic acid tests at Kiang Wu Hospital, meaning that the government’s NAT programme will now have one more third-party testing institution.
MUST wants to join NAT scheme
Lo also said that the University Hospital run by the private Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) has applied to join the government’s NAT scheme.
Macau has three main hospitals, namely the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre and the private Kiang Wu Hospital on the peninsula as well as the University Hospital on the MUST campus in Taipa.
Lo underlined that the government will not pay Kiang Wu Hospital any subsidy for carrying out the COVID-19 testing under the NAT scheme.
14-day quarantine for all arrivals from Nantang
Meanwhile, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said at yesterday’s press conference that from 6 a.m. today all arrivals who have been in Nantang town of Lufeng city in Guangdong province 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” as the mainland health authorities have classified the town as a COVID-19 “medium-risk” area.
The Guangdong Health Commission announced on Friday last week that a woman in Lufeng’s Nantang town was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient after returning there from Shenzhen. The woman, who worked at a supermarket in Shenzhen, returned home by bus on August 6. Since the woman’s case, four people in the town and three people in Shenzhen have tested positive for COVID-19, all classified as asymptomatic cases.
According to Xinhua, asymptomatic cases refer to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough and sore throat, yet they are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.
Unlike Macau where all those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are classified as confirmed COVID-19 patients – regardless of whether they have come down with COVID-19 symptoms, the mainland health authorities separately classify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Guangdong had not confirmed a new local COVID-19 case for over three months before the new confirmed COVID-19 case in Lufeng, a county-level city administered by the eastern city of Shanwei.
During yesterday’s press conference, Leong said that as the mainland heath authorities have upgraded Lufeng’s Nantang town to a COVID-19 “medium-risk” area, the Macau government has also decided to classify the town as a “medium-risk” area accordingly and impose its 14-day quarantine for arrivals from there.
The Lufeng health authorities announced yesterday that Nantang town has been upgraded to a COVID-19 “medium-risk” area as the town has reported one confirmed case and four asymptomatic cases.
Macau lifts quarantine for arrivals from Dalian
Meanwhile, Leong also announced that the Macau government has lifted its quarantine requirement for all arrivals who have been in Dalian city in Liaoning province within the 14 days prior to their entry into Macau, after considering that the COVID-19 epidemic in the north-eastern city has stabilised. Leong said that the Macau government has decided to classify Dalian as a “low-risk” area after the mainland heath authorities have downgraded it to a “low-risk” area.
The Macau government imposed its 14-day quarantine for arrivals from Urumqi – the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region – and Dalian early this month. The Macau government’s quarantine for arrivals from the north-western autonomous region’s capital is still in force.
Macau has not recorded a new COVID-19 case for 55 days, while no local case has been confirmed in 144 days.
This undated handout photo provided by Kiang Wu Hospital last night shows medical staff members preparing for Monday’s commencement of nucleic acid testing (NAT) there.
