Covid-19 Centre discontinued after over three years
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre was closed yesterday, according to a Chief Executive Dispatch published on the same day.
Pursuant to dispatch 156/2023, the Chief Executive has ordered the termination of the center, which was inaugurated on Jan. 21, 2020. The Chief Executive is the president of the now-defunct center, while the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture is the vice president.
The center was initially established to oversee and coordinate the prevention and control of Covid-19, which was then referred to as Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia or Novel Coronavirus Infection.
The same dispatch issued yesterday also revokes Chief Executive Dispatch No 166/2022, which had imposed special entry requirements on entrants to Macau, regardless of their place of origin or nationality.
Both Chief Executive Dispatches No 166/2022 and No 23/2020, which governed the inauguration of the Covid center, were nullified yesterday.
In response to these terminations, the Health Bureau (SSM) issued a statement yesterday to clarify several matters.
The SSM emphasized that “Covid-19 still poses a certain level of threat to human health,” and that “suitable prevention and control measures will be implemented according to changes in the epidemic situation.”
The “Epidemic Fighting” website has been renamed ‘Special webpage against epidemics.’ New infection data will be announced once per week, while vaccination data will be provided on a monthly basis. The vaccination website will be converted by the SSM into a special-topic website.
Data announcement via hotline inquiry has also been discontinued, and the inquiry hotline 28 700 800 has returned to operating as a regular infectious disease inquiry hotline during government office hours. The email for inquiries has reverted to being a general inquiry email for the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the SSM.
Inquiries via text message and on the website have also been discontinued.
Despite these developments, the centralized mask supply for Macau residents will continue unaffected.
