Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou has admitted that the minimum vaccination rate of the population that would enable the government to gradually ease its Covid-19 prevention and control measures is rising continuously due to the Delta variant.
Leong said that as the novel coronavirus has been constantly mutating, particularly with the highly contagious Delta variant becoming increasingly dominant globally, Covid-19 vaccines have become less effective in preventing infection of the disease.
Consequently, Leong said, the Macao government, like various other countries and regions, will have to keep constantly “adjusting” the targeted inoculation rate that would make it possible for Covid-19 curbs to be gradually eased.
Therefore, Leong said, the more important purpose of getting vaccinated against Covid-19 nowadays was to reduce the risk of suffering a serious condition or dying from the novel coronavirus disease.
According to Leong, the World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly underlined that while vaccinations are key to Covid-19 prevention and control, various other measures such as wearing a facemask and social distancing will have to remain in force.
Leong said that with a high Covid-19 vaccination rate in Macao, the government could gradually ease Covid-19 travel curbs with certain neighbouring regions whose Covid-19 situation have been stable.
Leong also said that Macao’s Covid-19 vaccination rate had reached around 67 per cent as of yesterday afternoon, meaning that about two-thirds of the population has received at least one jab. According to the latest demographic statistics, Macao’s population stood at 682,500 at the end of June.
Leong had said early this month that only after Macao reaches a Covid-19 vaccination rate of 80 to 90 per cent could the local government consider shifting its zero-Covid policy to the “living with the virus” approach. Leong added that jurisdictions that have started to adopt the strategy to live with the novel coronavirus normally have a high Covid-19 inoculation rate of 80 to 90 per cent, and in particular their vaccination rates among senior citizens and those with a chronic disease are even higher.
Leong admitted that she could not predict when Macao would reach a Covid-19 vaccination rate of at least 80 per cent, as residents getting vaccinated against the novel coronavirus was their own decision. Leong said that what the SSM could do in order to increase the city’s inoculation rate was to roll out more measures that would make it more convenient for residents to receive their Covid-19 jabs and to strengthen its awareness campaigns about the importance of getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
Leong also reaffirmed that while Macao’s Covid-19 vaccination rates among young and middle-aged people are high, the inoculation rates among those aged between 12 and 19 and those aged 60 or over are still relatively low.
Leong underlined that while the SSM will continue to cooperate with the Education and Youth Development Bureau and community associations with the aim of boosting Covid-19 vaccinations among students and senior citizens, “having a favourable social atmosphere” was even more important for increasing their inoculation rates.
Leong said that young and middle-aged residents should convey the message to their family members who are senior citizens or those with a chronic disease about the importance of getting inoculated against Covid-19.
Leong also reaffirmed that senior citizens who have been infected with Covid-19 will run the risk of suffering a serious condition 60 to 100 times more than young people who have caught the novel coronavirus. In case of a Covid-19 infection, according to Leong, senior citizens who have not been inoculated against the novel coronavirus will run the risk of suffering a serious condition nine times more than their peers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
On another note, Wong Ka Ki, who heads the Non-Tertiary Education Department of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, said that the Covid-19 vaccination rate among teaching staff in both the non-tertiary and higher education sectors has reached 85 per cent, while the inoculation rates among higher education students and non-tertiary education students have reached 80 per cent and 46 per cent respectively.
According to Wong, over 70 schools have joined the government’s outreach Covid-19 vaccination programme, The Macau Post Daily reported.
