Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou underlined that her bureau has concluded that those who have recently entered Macau after having been in Xinjiang’s prefecture of Kashgar within the past 14 days pose a low COVID-19 risk to Macau.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced in a statement on Sunday night that with effect from noon yesterday all arrivals who have been in Kashgar within 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”, due to the latest COVID-19 epidemic situation there.
Sunday’s statement also said that the Macau Health Code of those who have been in Kashgar within the past 14 days but had already entered Macau before yesterday’s quarantine measure is now indicating yellow.
According to Xinhua, Xinjiang’s health commission announced on Sunday that 137 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases had been reported in Kashgar after a 17-year-old female villager from the prefecture’s Shufu county was confirmed as an asymptomatic carrier of the virus on Saturday during the county’s routine nucleic acid testing (NAT). The 137 cases were all found related to a factory in Shufu where the parents of the female villager work.
According to a briefing by Xinjiang’s health commission yesterday, 26 more asymptomatic COVID-19 cases have been reported in Shufu, bringing the total number of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in Kashgar prefecture to 164, according to Xinhua.
During yesterday’s press conference, Leong said that her bureau has contacted 15 people, comprising a local resident and 14 mainlanders, who have stated on their Macau Health Codes since October 11 that they had visited Kashgar within the past 14 days. Leong said that 13 of the 14 mainlanders have already returned to the mainland while one of them was still in Macau, adding that the local resident has meanwhile travelled to the mainland. The mainland visitor still in Macau, who left Kashgar over 14 days ago, has told the Health Bureau that he would return to the mainland today, Leong said.
Leong urged residents who have visited Kashgar within the past 14 days to contact the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre on 2870 0800, and those who are still in Kashgar to carry out the necessary COVID-19 prevention measures.
Leong said that due to the global seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, even the mainland where the COVID-19 epidemic has stabilised has reported new local COVID-19 cases occasionally, which should remind Macau residents that they still need to stick to COVID-19 prevention measures.
Meanwhile, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, announced during yesterday’s press conference that the 23rd round of the government’s facemask purchase scheme will start on Thursday. The facemasks sold under the scheme are colloquially known as “government facemasks”.
There will be 84 outlets for the upcoming round of the scheme which runs until November 27, comprising 57 designated pharmacies, eight health centres in Macau and Taipa and two health stations in Coloane run by the Health Bureau, as well as 17 so-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).
Alvis Lo Iek Long (right), one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, speaks during yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, as Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou looks on. Photo: Tony Wong
