A team of 300 technicians from Guangdong Province has arrived Macao today to help the government’s mass NAT programme that started on Wednesday, 4 August following four confirmed Covid-19 Delta cases.
The technicians, who come at the request of the Macao government, have already been dispatched across the city’s testing stations. The government is hopeful that the additional support will reduce waiting times at testing centres.
Authorities have also announced that NAT results can take up to two days to show up on the Macao Health Codes. For individuals that need results within 12 hours of undertaking a NAT, authorities are recommending that they go to these locations: Nam Yue Hengqin Border (Sala E06 da zona de autoserviços 南粵橫琴口岸), Kok In Clinic (Kong Fai Building, Edf. Brilhantismo 4th floor 國檢 (澳門) 醫務中心), Macao Forum (澳門綜藝館) or the Pac On Ferry Terminal (北安客運碼頭) in Taipa. NAT tests taken at these locations are not free and individuals will receive a paper certificate.
Alvis Lo Iek Long, director of the Health Bureau has also confirmed that a second round of mass Covid-19 NATs cannot be ruled out and would depend on the results of this first round.
On Wednesday, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said that the Macao government decided to launch mass testing for everyone after listening to advice from Zhong Nanshan, China’s virologist, pulmonologist and respiratory disease expert, who, according to Ho, urged Macao “not to hesitate” to launch a citywide testing drive as soon as possible. Ho has also said that the government expects the city’s Covid-19 situation to normalise within 14 days.
