Health director tells Macao to stay calm as Covid-19 cases hit 190

Health officials have told residents to stay calm and not panic after Macao’s Covid-19 cases hit 190 as of 00:00 of 25 June – 20 more than yesterday – as a new wave of the coronavirus sweeps through the city. The patients comprise 118 females and 72 males, and range in age from an eight-month-old baby to an 89-year-old.

Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long warned that the Omicron variant has a short incubation period and is easily transmitted. He said residents should stay at home and reduce contact with other people as much as possible to keep the virus at  bay. Lo said that 45 of the new cases were symptomatic, while 145 were asymptomatic. Lo has not ruled out the possibility of a third round of mass-testing.

Lo said there is no doubt that the virus is spreading through community transmission, and the situation will worsen over the next few days. He added that professional assistance was not required from mainland China at present, but it would be requested if needed.

More than 5,600 people are currently in quarantine in Macao. As of midnight earlier today, The Parisian Macao has been used as a quarantine hotel to accommodate the current outbreak with 2,300 rooms, while Lisboeta Macau, with its 650 hotel rooms, has been receiving qurantinees since Thursday morning. 

Lo said his medical experts are tracking the virus curve and would take appropriate action.

So far, eight Covid-19 clusters have been identified across the city, though Patient Zero  – who triggered the outbreak that flared up last weekend –  has yet to be traced.

They are:

– Yim Lai building: 85
– Tat Cheong building: 64
– Tim Fung cleaning service Co:  10
– OD Health Club: 3
– International Centre: 2
– Female staff changing room at Shoppes at Four Seasons (including cases from Edifício Comercial Chong Kin): 7
– City of Dreams construction site: 2
– Va Fai Kok building:  8 (related to Yim Lai cluster)

Nine cases have yet to be tied to a specific location.

Elders, or anyone else who does not know how to upload their RAT results to the SSM platform, should take photos of the RATs and keep them as records. Anyone who tests positive should immediately dial 119, 120 or 2857 2222 for assistance.