Health Bureau’s director and pulmonologist Alvis Lo assured that the government’s plans for handling Covid-19 would see continuous refinement.
The assurance was given in response to lawmaker Leong Hong Sai’s written inquiry.
Macau saw its first Covid-19 casualties during the outbreak that started June 18 and ended August 7. Six lives were lost during the outbreak.
Lo said that the government is learning from the June 18 outbreak and is working to improve its planning for future outbreaks. Announcements will be made in due course.
Discussing the June 18 outbreak, Lo emphasized that adjustments had been made as conditions changed, hinting that plans were not always properly followed.
Examples include using hotels instead of the Macau Dome to host those who tested positive but had no symptoms; opting for a “relative standstill”; shortening the time of each round of the citywide SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test (NAT) drive; as well as introducing NATMobile – a coach for NAT specimen collection. .
The medical doctor also noted the government had compiled a set of contingencies for Covid-19 handling. He reiterated his confidence in prompt mobilization of resources, such as volunteering citizens, private medical practitioners and civil servants, during an outbreak. AL
