Stricter pandemic control measures may well be enforced in Macao in the near future, given a growing chorus of comment in the Chinese language press.
According to an article in the Overseas Network of People’s Daily (Haiwainet), there is a feeling in Macao that the current epidemic prevention measures are not strict enough.
The website said that “the epidemic prevention and control measures have been implemented in Macao in an orderly manner, however there are problems that need urgent attention.”
The story, written by Fu Zimei, stated that in the face of the hostile novel coronavirus, decisions needed to be made soon and acted upon fast.
Fu said that Macao had made timely decisions since the outbreak flared up on 18 June but because the new BA.5.1 Omicron variant spreads faster, and has a shorter incubation period, it is necessary to adjust strategies and methods in a timely and dynamic manner.
Drilling down to specific examples, Fu said that Macao’s approach had not been entirely satisfactory.
Fu said that the cluster at the Shoppes at Four Seasons had not been locked down in time, and pointed to the high number of Covid-19 cases found in the community, which indicated that transmission was not being adequately controlled.
The article concluded that “The current basic control can still be achieved under many constraints especially with the innovative measures made according to local conditions, such as the combination of nucleic acid tests and rapid antigen tests, mobile testing buses, mass testings and key group monitoring.
