People in Macau should get vaccinated against Covid-19 with urgency, as this might not be possible later on, health authorities stated during yesterday’s regular Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center press briefing.
“We urge people in Macau to get vaccinated or take their booster shoots as fast as possible,” said Dr. Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that vaccination at a later stage “might not be possible in case we have to perform other activities such as mass testing or if the Health Bureau (SSM) needs staff to attend to a potential outbreak.”
Leong was speaking in response to media inquiries regarding the pandemic situation in the neighboring region of Hong Kong, which has been peaking in the last few days, hinting that there is a possibility that this outbreak will reach Macau.
In the scenario of a potential outbreak, authorities might consider suspending the vaccination plan to allow all medical staff to be available to attend to other priorities, Leong remarked. She reminded the public that, for full effectiveness, the vaccine should have been administered at least 14 days before exposure to the virus.
Questioned about whether local authorities plan to enforce the mandatory presentation of vaccination certificates for access to some venues, Leong said that this remains a possibility, but would depend on the severity of the situation in Macau. For the time being, since Macau has been completely free of Covid-19 infections for some time, such a measure would not be considered.
Govít unaware of possible
impact on logistics
When questioned about logistics and imports, Leong admitted that health authorities are unaware of potential impacts for Macau arising from the pandemic situation in Hong Kong.
“We know that most of the products arriving in Macau from Hong Kong come via maritime transportation. This has been the way for many years. We are reinforcing the work of supervision and the handling of those goods but, for the time being, we have no information on the potential impact that the situation in Hong Kong might have in Macau,” she said, adding that most attention is focused on frozen and chilled products.
No priority given to locals
for quarantine hotels
No special measures for access to quarantine hotels, such as implementing a priority system for residents, are planned. This information was provided by Liz Lam, representing the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), in response to media questions.
The questions were raised in light of several university students from Macau who are in Hong Kong and wish to return, but cannot find vacant rooms in quarantine venues.
According to Lam, citing figures from the Education and Youth Development Bureau, there were 11 requests received from students in Hong Kong, but she said that some of them were still considering the best time to travel and do not have a clear date for their arrival to Macau.
She noted that the MGTO will find ways for residents who wish to return to be able to do so as soon as possible, but said that finding new quarantine venues is a difficult task due to the standards and characteristics required.
According to the figures announced, there are currently 934 people undergoing quarantine in local hotels, of whom more than half (495) are non-residents, including tourists (349).
Authorities call on companies to follow health guidelines
Local health authorities reiterated the need for local companies and entities to proceed with following the guidelines of the public sector, that is, verifying the health situation of their staff members, namely those who traveled abroad during the Chinese New Year.
Authorities are seeking strict compliance with the safety procedures to avoid an outbreak, which could be possible due to lack of supervision and lax compliance with infection prevention and control measures at workplaces.
