Macao is set to see major changes in pandemic rules and regulations for the first time since 2020, starting with home quarantine for close contacts of Covid-19 cases starting next Monday.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong said the city would open “step by step”, following the example set by health authorities throughout mainland China, however she warned that up to 80 per cent of the population could be infected in a short time, with some critical cases and fatalities.
“We will follow the 10 principles adopted by the State Council of the mainland but will adopt them to Macao’s situation,” she said.
Ao Ieong added that everyone in Macao would be issued with four different types of anti-Covid-19 kits – which can include Lianhua Qingwen (a TCM supplement), KN95 masks, and RATs – within the next two weeks, as the focus shifts away from nucleic acid tests (NAT) to rapid antigen tests (RAT). Five groups of people including locals, non-local workers (commonly referred to as blue-cards) and students among others will also have access to these kits for free.
She warned that while the Omicron infection rate remains low, large numbers of people could come down with the virus in the near future, and said that 4,800 over-80s are still unvaccinated the government would redouble its efforts to encourage a 100 per cent jab rate.
“We want to thank everyone in Macao for their efforts over the past three years,” said Ao Ieong.
“We are now entering a new phase. NATs will be replaced by RATs, and an online platform will be provided for those who test positive. Cases will be advised to do home quarantine, visit a clinic or go to hospital according to their individual situation.”
Before today, anyone that tested positive for Covid-19 would be picked up in an ambulance.
From Monday onwards, Covid-19 individuals will be evaluated by healthcare professionals on a case-by-case basis to assess whether they can quarantine at home, be treated at a health clinic – Polyclinic of the Macau Medical and Health Federation at NAPE, Federação de Médico e Saúde de Macau do Edifício Ilha Verde and Rotunda do Estádio– or a hospital, Leong Iek Hau, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau said.
Tests for arrivals from China will be reduced, and tests for travellers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and foreign countries will be adjusted very soon, the secretary said. She added that it would be inadvisable to allow many cases to enter Macao because they could disrupt the economic and social situation.
“We will maintain the QR code practice and implement all the 10 measures decided by the State Council of the mainland but we will adapt them for Macao. Workers in certain industries will be tested via NAT or RAT every three days,” she said.
“Over 90 per cent of Covid-19 infected people will be asymptomatic and will be able to quarantine at home in future. This is not a political decision, it’s a scientific decision.”
Alvis Lo, director of the Health Bureau added that 600 hospital-level beds, 6,000 isolation treatment beds in hotels and 139 ventilators ready in Macao in case the situation requires. “Regarding doctors and other medical staff we have enough professionals. There are 106 doctors and 89 nurses available to treat Covid-19.
“We are very confident that we will be able to deal with Covid-19.”
Twenty-four cases were reported yesterday, bringing the recent outbreak’s total to 102.
International financial markets responded positively to the news of mainland China and Macao’s relaxed anti-pandemic measures with stock prices of all the city’s integrated resorts rising sharply.
