Further details have emerged about the city’s three most recent Covid-19 cases, who all worked on the same renovation project in downtown Macao.
According to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, the 72nd patient, a 46-year-old non-resident renovation worker from Zhuhai, was inoculated twice against Covid-19 in Macao with China’s Sinopharm vaccine on 17 April and 10 June. The centre said that the source of his infection was still under investigation.
According to the centre, the patient worked on a renovation project in a flat in Kam Do Lei Fa Yun building (金多利花園) in Rua de Pedro Coutinho (高地烏街) on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday last week.
Before 26 September – when the Zhuhai authorities imposed the 14-day mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Macau – the patient commuted daily between Macao and Zhuhai, and rode a motorcycle in the city.
The patient returned to Macao on 26 September and subsequently stayed at the Grand Emperor, Sands Macao and Victoria hotels. He tested negative for Covid-19 on Tuesday and Thursday last week, but tested positive for the novel coronavirus yesterday.
The 73rd novel coronavirus patient is a 52-year-old non-resident renovation worker from the mainland, a colleague of the 72nd patient.
According to the centre, the 73rd patient lived in Son Lei Building (順利樓) in Iao Hon district until his isolation treatment yesterday. He tested negative for Covid-19 on Sunday and Thursday last week.
After having been classified by the centre as a “close contact” of the 72nd patient, he underwent a nucleic acid test (NAT) yesterday which came up with a positive result.
The patient was vaccinated twice against Covid-19 in Macao with the Sinopharm vaccine on 3 July and 3 August. The source of his infection is still under investigation, according to the centre.
The 74th Covid-19 patient is a 40-year-old Vietnamese renovation worker. The patient lived in Bairro das Missões (平民村) in Rua de S. Francisco Xavier (聖方濟各街) in Coloane until his isolation treatment yesterday.
According to the centre, the Vietnamese, who worked on the same renovation project as the 72nd and 73rd patients, tested negative for Covid-19 on 25 September.
After having been classified by the centre as a “close contact” of the 73rd patient, he underwent a NAT yesterday which came up with a positive result.
The patient received his first Sinopharm jab in Macao on 15 September. The source of his infection was still under investigation, the centre said.
The locked-down buildings due to the three latest Covid-19 cases are covered by Red Code zones, namely Kam Do Lei Fa Yun building (金多利花園) in Rua de Pedro Coutinho (高地烏街), Grand Emperor Hotel in Avenida Comercial de Macao (澳門商業大馬路) in Nam Van district, Victoria Hotel in Estrada do Arco (拱形馬路 / 關閘橫路) near Iao Hon district, Son Lei Building (順利樓) in Iao Hon district, and Bairro das Missões (平民村) in Rua de S. Francisco Xavier (聖方濟各街) in Coloane.
Residents of the Red Code zones are barred from leaving their homes during the lockdown and are required to be tested for Covid-19 every day.
Health Bureau officials said that the government decided not to impose a lockdown on Sands Macao for the time being as the 72nd Covid-19 patient had checked out of the hotel before he tested negative for Covid-19 on Tuesday last week.
In addition, a number of other buildings near some of the Red Code zones are covered by Yellow Code zones – so the Macao Health Code colour of residents living there has become yellow – which bars them from leaving Macao, entering various premises in the city, and using public transport – despite the fact that they can leave their homes.
The government has not set up Yellow Code zones near the Grand Emperor and Victoria hotels, which are both covered by a Red Code zone.
Although those living in a Yellow Code zone can leave their homes, they are subject to various Covid-19 measures such as undergoing a daily NAT for at least 14 days. Their Macao Health Code will return to green after testing negative for Covid-19 in all the required tests.
Both Macao’s first mass NAT drive in August, and the second one last month, produced only negative results.
Unlike the first two citywide NAT drives, those who underwent a test within 24 hours prior to the commencement of the mass testing are not exempted from the mass NAT programme.
This time, the government has reduced the number of testing stations from 52 to 41 as it has cancelled 11 self-paid stations, most of which were located in casino-hotel resorts.
Prior booking is required for both general testing stations and self-paid testing stations.
Seven special care testing stations provide walk-in tests for people in need of special care who are unable to make a prior booking, and they can, if needed, be accompanied by one person.
The government suspended its Covid-19 vaccination drive before the start of the citywide testing drive.
Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long urged residents to participate in the mass NAT drive within the first 48 hours of the programme, even though the drive is scheduled until Thursday evening.
