Covid-19 | MGM debuts casino outreach Covid vaccination action

Dr Alvis Lo (left) and Kenneth Feng

The Health Bureau (SSM) is operating a two-day outreach vaccination action at the MGM Cotai yesterday and today as part of the former’s Covid-19 vaccination program.
The resort operator revealed that a total of 1,200 employees had made bookings to receive the vaccine at the home base over the two days.
Should all the 1,200 employees go through the vaccination process, the company will achieve a 40% inoculation rate (including employees who have previously been vaccinated).
Kenneth Feng, president-cum-Chief Strategic and Financial Officer of the company, took the shot on-site. He said that the company had organized sessions to ease employees’ anxiety over the vaccine. The company, according to Feng, will continue encouraging employees to get inoculated.
In order to further boost immunization rates, the company will continue working with the government to foster vaccination progress.
With relapse cases recorded in neighboring Guangdong Province, local residents have relaxed their control measures, Dr Alvis Lo, director of the Health Bureau (SSM), noted while he was visiting the bureau’s first outreach Covid-19 vaccination program held in association with MGM China.
He reminded residents not to become “anesthetized and careless” on pandemic control measures. They should be as vigilant as before, as well as taking the vaccine as early as they can, he added.
There is a growing trajectory in terms of daily vaccinations in the city. Lo recalled that when the program commenced, the daily inoculation rate was less than 1,000. Currently, the daily rate has risen to as high as 3,000.
In order to encourage inoculation, the bureau director said that more vaccination sites will be added in the city. Further outreach activities will also be explored.
When questioned about his comment on gambling concessionaires rewarding inoculated employees with money, Lo said the government is happy to see different entities using different ways to encourage vaccination. Nonetheless, this may not be a suitable way for all entities, he stressed.
While the government has already lifted the requirement for a special PCR test on fully vaccinated individuals at special occasions, Lo was questioned about whether similar measures will exist in border crossings. He said there were no specific details to release and it requires negotiations with neighboring jurisdictions.
On the other hand, he did not rule out the possibility of shortening quarantine-upon-arrival for fully vaccinated individuals, but said it will need scientific data to support the alteration. He does not want any loopholes introduced regarding this matter.
In addition, should there be such a change, it will be unlikely to happen in the near future.
He also stressed that the global conditions are still very tough. He reminded people in Macau to be vigilant against any possible relapse. AL