The local government confirmed two more new COVID-19 cases in the early hours of Thursday – Macau’s 16th and 17th COVID-19 cases.
Following the four new cases, Macau has so far confirmed 17 COVID-19 cases since January 22, when the first case was diagnosed.
According to a statement by the government’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre shortly after midday Wednesday, the 42-year-old woman is a relative of a local non-resident worker from Indonesia. The woman departed from Jakarta on Tuesday on Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight CX718 in seat 47F. She arrived in Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB). At the Macau checkpoint of the bridge Health Bureau (SSM) officials detected that she had a fever, after which she was taken to the special emergency ward of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for a medical examination.
According to the statement, the patient was classified as a “moderate risk case”. After she had received initial treatment and staff had collected a sample for a COVID-19 test, she was driven by her husband to their home where she remained. After her COVID-19 infection had been confirmed, she was taken to the public hospital’s isolation ward for treatment. The statement described her condition as “normal”.
According to a statement about the 15th COVID-19 case by the centre Wednesday afternoon, the 31-year-old male non-resident worker worked in Macau until January 26, before visiting his family in the Philippines between 27 and March 15. He arrived in Macau from the Philippines via Hong Kong on Monday. He sought medical treatment for a toothache he had had for three days and a rash he had had for a day at the private Kiang Wu Hospital on Tuesday.
The hospital classified him as a “moderate risk case”. After he had received initial treatment and staff had collected a sample for a COVID-19 test, he returned to his home to wait for the result of the test.
After his COVID-19 infection was confirmed Wednesday afternoon, he was taken to the public hospital’s isolation ward for treatment.
During Wednesday’s daily press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, SSM Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou said that Macau’s 14th COVID-19 patient – the 42-year-old woman from Indonesia – is a housewife who lives in the Prince Flower City estate in Taipa, while the 15th COVID-19 patient – the 31-year-old Filipino – lives in Rua do Padre António Roliz – a street near Avenida de Horta e Costa.
According to Leong, the 42-year-old patient returned to Jakarta from Macau with her husband and son on February 11.
According to Leong, the 31-year-old non-resident worker stayed at home most of the time since returning to Macau from the Philippines, apart from going to Kiang Wu Hospital for treatment and a pharmacy near his home to buy facemasks.
According to a statement about the 16th and 17th COVID-19 cases by the centre in the early hours of Thursday, the 16th patient is a 19-year-old female Macau resident studying in the United Kingdom. She departed from London en route to Hong Kong via Singapore on Sunday, and arrived in Hong Kong on Monday, after which she returned to Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) in a privately-hired car.
As she is a student returning from overseas, after arriving in Macau she went into 14-day home quarantine and medical staff collected a sample for a COVID-19 test. She “preliminarily” tested positive for the novel coronavirus Wednesday afternoon, after she was taken to the public hospital for another COVID-19 test. She was confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus disease in the early hours of Thursday, according to the statement, which described her condition as “normal”.
11-year-old boy becomes 17th patient
According to the statement, the 17th patient is an 11-year-old boy, a son of the 14th patient – the 42-year-old Indonesian woman. The statement pointed out that the boy returned to Macau with his parents on the Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight CX718. As the boy has been classified as having been in close contact with his mother, he underwent a COVID-19 test, according to the statement, which said that he was confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus disease in the early hours of Thursday. He is undergoing treatment in the public hospital’s isolation ward, according to the statement, which described his condition as “normal”.
The statement said that the boy’s father has come down with a fever and has undergone a first COVID-19 test. The man will undergo a second test 48 hours after the first test, the statement said.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
PHOTO © CDC
