UM team steps up development of coronavirus detection system

In order to speed up the detection of novel coronavirus, the University of Macau (UM) has stepped up the development of a digital-microfluidic-chip-based system to help tackle the epidemic outbreak, the public university said in a statement today. With the help of ‘Virus Hunter’, a rapid test kit developed with UM patented technology, the whole virus detection process can be completed within 30 minutes. The study was conducted by a team formed by researchers from UM’s State Key

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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Macau halts jail visitations over coronavirus threat

Macau's Correctional Services Bureau (DSC) announced today that prison visitations will be suspended sine die from tomorrow as a part of the government's measures to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading in the city. According to a statement by the bureau, the measure applies to the city's prison and the juvenile detention facility, both of which are located in Coloane. The prison comprises a multi-building complex and a separate high-security facility. The bureau said it would

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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Macau Light Rail reduces frequency over coronavirus threat

The government-owned Macau Light Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd. (MLM) announced today that it has reduced the frequency of its trains in the wake of the novel coronavirus threat. According to an MLM statement, the frequency will be "adequately reduced in line with the passenger flow". The statement also urged all passengers to wear facemasks. The light rail system (LRT) opened in early December. The railway operates in Taipa and Cotai, the city's main gaming

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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Casino receipts drop 11.3 pct in January

Macau's gross gaming receipts fell 11.3 percent year-on-year to 22.12 billion patacas last month, the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) announced today.Month-on-month, the receipts were down 3.1 percent in January. Last month's year-on-year decline was less than the one in December, DICJ figures show, and this despite the Wuhan virus threat. Macau has seven confirmed novel coronavirus cases. Last month's receipts were similar to those in December (22.83 billion

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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WHO chief praises China for response to novel coronavirus

WHO says novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, disfavors travel and trade restrictions  GENEVA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of InternationalConcern (PHEIC).Speaking at a press conference after a closed-door meeting of the Geneva-based organization's Emergency Committee, he stressed that the WHO disfavors and even

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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Foreign Ministry statement on WHO novel coronavirus declaration on 'emergency of int'l concern'

ForeignMinistry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Remarks on WHO Declaring PneumoniaOutbreak Caused by Novel Coronavirus Public Health Emergency of InternationalConcern2020/01/31 Q: WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the pneumonia outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus a public health emergency ofinternational concern (PHEIC). What's your comment? A: Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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CNY hotel occupancy rate falls to 52.9 pct

Due to the novel coronavirus crisis Macau's average hotel room occupancy fell 43.8 percentage points to 52.9 percent during the seven-day Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday period (January 24-30) compared with the same CNY holiday period in 2019, the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said in a statement today. .  According to the MGTO statement, 5-star hotels' average occupancy rate dropped 42.3 percentage points to 55.3 percent. During the 7-day period, the average room rate

February 1, 2020 | BY admin

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Labour Bureau says no info on casinos urging staff to take unpaid holidays

The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) said in a statement today that it and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) had received "no information whatsoever" that Macau's gaming operators were urging their staff to take unpaid holidays, apparently due to the novel coronavirus crisis that is understood to have resulted in a dramatic downturn in casino receipts. According to the statement, neither has the Labour Affairs Bureau received any complaints from gaming industry

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Wealth-sharing handout payout to be brought forward: govt

In response to the adverse impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on Macau's economy, the government has decided to bring forward the payout of its annual wealth-sharking handouts to residents by about half a year, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong said today during the government's daily press conference about the Wuhan virus threat. Lei said the measures aimed to help residents facing financial difficulties as a result of the economic downturn caused by the outbreak. The policy

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Health Bureau doesn't rule out Wuhan virus community outbreak

Macau's Health Bureau (SSM) today did not rule out the possibility of a local community outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Macau.Speaking during a daily press conference about the Wuhan virus threat, SSM Director Lei Chin Ion said it would be "difficult to rule out the possibility of having a community outbreak" in the city, which has a population of nearly 680,000 that includes about 190,000 non-resident workers, around two-thirds of them from the Chinese mainland. He urged the

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Hospital escapee tests negative for Wuhan virus: govt

Macau's Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said in a statement today that an illegal immigrants from the Chinese mainland who escaped from the public hospital yesterday while he was in isolation as a suspected novel coronavirus patient has tested negative for the deadly virus. The 44-year old man entered Macau illegally. When he was caught by the police he was having a fever, runny nose, score throat and cough. He told the police that he had been in Wuhan between January

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Wuhan virus pushes visitors down by 78 pct

Macau's number of visitor arrivals fell 78.3 percent to 261.069 in the past seven days, the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced today, citing official statistics by the Immigration Department of the Public Security Police (PSP).The number of mainland Chinese visitor declined 83.3 percent between last Friday (Chinese New Year's Eve) and yesterday to 149,244. Mainlanders accounted for 57.1 percent of all visitor arrivals in the seven-day period.Yesterday's visitor arrivals dropped

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Macau woman on ship in Italy tests negative for Wuhan virus: report

Italy's Health Ministry announced yesterday that two Chinese passengers - including a female from Macau - on a crowded cruise ship appeared not to be infected with the deadly novel coronavirus. More than 6,000 passengers were under lockdown aboard the Costa Smeralda at a port near Rome after one of the passengers, the woman from Macau began running a fever. It was not immediately clear whether the negative test result meant that the passengers would be allowed to disembark, the French news

January 31, 2020 | BY admin

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Macau woman 'in solitary confinement' on ship in Italy over Wuhan virus scare: reports

A Macau woman and her companion who reportedly flew to Italy from Hong Kong last Saturday are being isolated aboard a cruise ship at an Italian port amid fearst hey could be infected with the novel coronavirus – as around 7,000 other passengers have been placed on lockdown as a precaution, AFP and RTHK reported today. Samples from the two passengers were sent for testing after three doctors and a nurse boarded the Costa Crociere ship in the port of Civitavecchia to tend to a woman

January 30, 2020 | BY admin

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