Macao’s number of non-resident workers fell by 10,787, or 5.5 per cent, from 193,498 at the end of January to 182,711 at the end of last month, according to figures released by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) today.
Macao recorded its first COVID-19 case on 22 January. As part of the government’s various measures against the novel coronavirus threat, foreign non-resident workers have been barred from entering Macao since 18 March.
At the end of August, most foreign non-resident workers were from the Philippines (32,374), Vietnam (12,953), Indonesia (6,101), Nepal (4,230) and Myanmar (3,001).
Chinese mainland (114,011), Hong Kong (4,105) and Taiwan (1,268) citizens, who accounted for 65.3 percent of the total number of non-resident workers at the end of last month, can enter Macao if they pass a nucleic acid test (NAT).
The decline in non-resident workers was due to the adverse impact by the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy.
Some 28.3 per cent of Macao’s non-resident workers at the end of last month were employed by the hotel and restaurant sector, which made up the largest segment of Macao’s “imported labour”. The number of domestic helpers dropped by 1,098 from 30,923 at the end of January to 29,825 at the end of last month.
Macao has recorded 46 COVID-19 cases since 22 January, none of them fatal. While 44 of the cases have been classified by the Health Bureau (SSM) as imported, the bureau classified the remainder as “connected to imported cases.”
Macao has not recorded a new COVID-19 case for 91 days, while no local case has been confirmed in 180 days.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macau News)
PHOTO © Macau News
