The government has published the first draft of its contingency plan for a massive Covid-19 outbreak, which includes the possible setting-up of two makeshift hospitals at the Macao East Asian Games Dome in Cotai, providing 4,430 beds.
In the event of a serious Covid-19 outbreak, the government would impose a citywide lockdown, when residents would have to stay at home except for essential tasks.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced that it drew up the contingency plan after gathering opinions and suggestions from civil society and government entities.
The full version of the draft is currently only available in Chinese though Portuguese and English versions are expected soon.
The draft points out that Macao currently has a total of 266 isolation beds, comprising 120 beds in the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Public Health Clinical Centre in Coloane and 146 beds in the Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.
According to the plan, the two makeshift hospitals at the Macao East Asian Games Dome would comprise an indoor and an outdoor facility with 4,430 beds. The indoor hospital would have 1,670 beds, inside the East Asian Games Dome and in its adjacent Athletes Training and Development Centre, while the outdoor hospital would have 2,760 beds. If Macao has more than 50 new Covid-19 patients, according to the plan, the government would start preparing the operation of the two makeshift hospitals.
If needs be, the indoor makeshift hospital could come into use in a few days, while the government is still designing the setting-up of the outdoor hospital, the plan says.
If Macao has more than 100 new Covid-19 patients, the makeshift hospitals would come into use.
If the number of new Covid-19 patients further increases to over 500, the government would start preparing the operation of quarantine hotels to house Covid-19 patients.
If Macao has more than 1,500 new Covid-19 patients, quarantine hotels used for housing Covid-19 patients would start operating.
If the number of new Covid-19 patients further increases to over 2,000, the government would start preparing its plan for home isolation. If the patient number exceeds 5,000, the government would activate its home isolation arrangements, The Macau Post Daily reported.
