Briefs | Hong Kong resident arrested for drug trafficking

A Hong Kong resident has been arrested for drug trafficking, according to the Judiciary Police (PJ). After receiving a tip-off regarding a 26-year-old man from Hong Kong, the PJ found the man in a hotel located in the ZAPE area. The police authorities were seized 92 packs of cocaine with a net weight of 31.17 grams, worth about MOP80,000. The suspect admitted to selling drugs to customers in Macau. For each pack he sold, he was compensated with HKD60. He had been in Macau for five days and had already sold 50 packs. The PJ believes that the drug trafficking situation has worsened following Macau’s reopening of entertainment venues such as nightclubs.

Gov’t receives 160,000 facemasks from anonymous donor

An anonymous enterprise has donated 160,000 facemasks to the Macau government, local authorities disclosed on Monday. According to a statement by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, the donation will help the government in its fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. It follows several other donations of facemasks, hand sanitizers and cash in recent weeks by casino operators and other large local enterprises. The government has sold over 20 million facemasks to residents and non-resident workers since late January under a distribution system designed to ensure an uninterrupted supply to the city. The next round of mask distribution will begin on Friday, according to the government.

Lawmakers want explanation on penalties for unlicensed medical practice

Lawmakers want the local government to further explain the city’s healthcare professional qualification and registration regime, in particular, regarding unlicensed medical practices. The bill proposed that harboring unlicensed medical practices should lead to a suspension of medical services for a minimum of two years. Lawmakers have different opinions regarding this specific provision. According to the bill, when a medical organization hires unlicensed doctors, the organization is disqualified from practice. When considering the punishment of healthcare professionals for irregularities, the bill proposes to consider the relevant parties’ financial capability as a criterion for the level of punishment.  Lawmakers and the Legislative Assembly’s legal advisors have different opinions on this topic, and have requested further explanation from the government.

Residents can visit escaped cow nicknamed ‘MaCow’

The cow that escaped from the slaughterhouse in Ilha Verde last year has been moved into its new home in Seac Pai Van. Members of the public can now visit it, José Tavares, president of the Executive Council of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced yesterday. Tavares added that the space housing the cow is satisfactory. Before moving into the new residence, the cow underwent quarantine. As part of the effort to retrieve the cow, workers with the IAM administered five shots of anesthetic to the animal, rendering its products inedible. The cow’s original owner expressed a willingness to gift the cow to the IAM. The cow was set to be butchered before it escaped from the slaughterhouse on December 4, 2019. It wandered around Ilha Verde for a brief period before being caught. A name for the cow has not yet been announced, but previously, netizens proposed names for the animal, including “MaCow” and “Ou Ao,” meaning “Macau cow”.

Macau Inc. released featuring Liu Liang cover

The March edition of Macau Inc. magazine has been released, with academician Liu Liang, Rector of the Macau University of Science and Technology, making the cover this month. The cover story is about epidemic prevention and the role of integrated medicine amid the current coronavirus outbreak, which has taken over public discourse in the past few months. In addition to the cover story, this edition of Macau Inc. includes a comprehensive review of the various stages of the government’s response to the outbreak, from its first formal moves in early January to its recent success in eliminating the virus from the territory. There is also special mention of the measures taken by the six gaming concessionaires to help the Macau community during the past two months, including their donations to the government and partnerships with local associations.

Flood prevention works to begin in northern district

In the third quarter of this year, the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) will start building flood prevention facilities along the coast of Fai Chi Kei to Ilha Verde, in order to guard against the risk of flooding in these areas. From Rua da Ilha Verde to Zona de Lazer da Avenida Marginal do Lam Mau, along a distance of 2,500 meters, the DSSOPT will build a 1.2-meter-tall flood wall, approximately 3.2 meters above the sea level, as well as valves to prevent seawater intrusion. The construction period for this project is 360 working days.