Covid-19 | Inoculation at Macao Forum kicks off

The community vaccination service at Macao Forum began operations yesterday (May 20), recording over 130 registrations as of 8 a.m.
The idea of designating Macao Forum as a new inoculation point for the Sinopharm inactivated vaccine was first floated by Tai Wah Hou, coordinator of the Health Bureau’s Covid-19 vaccination operation at a Coivd-19 media conference on May 11.
Dr. Liang Sung Wen, coordinator of Macao Forum vaccination station, told TDM yesterday that 136 locals had registered for inoculation at the venue as of 8 a.m. yesterday, a number in line with the government’s expectations.
On the first day in operation, there were five doctors and seven nurses responsible for vaccinations. Over 30 people received their injections within the first hour, during which one or two individuals failed to meet the blood pressure requirement and were refused their injections by the doctors.
In a separate video released by the government, Liang reassured the public that Sinopharm inactivated vaccines will be delivered to Macao Forum daily to “ensure the quality of the dose.”
“We have a dedicated freezer to store the vaccines at Macao Forum. The unused doses will be sent back to the hospital at the end of the same day,” he added.
In response to some complaints about the long waiting time at the venue, he said that it took some time for the staff to become accustomed to the system and procedures on the first day of operation.
Macao Forum has a daily capacity of around 2,000 doses of Sinopharm inactivated vaccine, and is designed to cater to individuals aged 18 or above.
The registration for inoculation at Macao Forum was launched on May 18. In the trial phase, the center will open for 8 hours daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Updated health code system launches today

An updated version of the health code system will launch today following the amendment that certain individuals who have completed both vaccinations will be exempted from both the regular and the special swab test.
From today, the health code will show detailed vaccination records.
This measure was announced on Monday by the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center in a bid to encourage local residents to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
From today, the health code page will also display the number of people who have been vaccinated. The effective date of the vaccine will be displayed at the bottom of the page after receiving both doses, or 14 days after receiving the second dose.
The public can also view their vaccination records, including: vaccination location, vaccine type, manufacturer, batch number and vaccination date. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, a total of 140,121 residents have booked to take the Covid-19 jab, while 88,771 have been vaccinated. 51,618 residents have received both doses.