Workers performing duties as part of cleaning, security, and condominium-related jobs have been called upon to perform daily nucleic acid tests (NAT) from today until Saturday (July 9), the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced yesterday during the daily briefing on the situation of Covid-19 in Macau.
The announcement was made by the representative of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), Luis Gomes, who explained that the testing of these key groups was decided on after an evaluation found these workers form part of a cohort who were more exposed to infections by the virus and “represent a major risk [of] […] transmission and contagion.”
Gomes said that the intensive testing of these key groups is intended to “ensure the safety of both society and this group as well.”
The same official also noted that this testing would be included in the current rounds of citywide mass testing for Covid-19, so that people do not need to repeat tests within the same day.
In the name of the government, Gomes urged the employers of these workers to allow them to perform their key group NAT during working hours and not to request them to present another NAT test as a condition to enter the workplace, noting that the daily Rapid Antigen Test (RAT), to which the whole population is subject, as well as the daily NAT, is enough.
This appeal comes after several employers have started to demand even more tests than the ones requested by health authorities under the three consecutive rounds of NAT for the whole population running this week until Saturday.
Reports have surfaced that some companies are requesting that employees present a valid negative NAT uploaded to the worker’s health code (paid) to be able to enter their workplace, a practice that the coordinator at the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Leong Iek Hou, refused to publicly condemn, while affirming that the measures taken by health authorities already include all the tests they consider necessary.
941 CASES AS OF MONDAY
The number of positive cases grew on Monday to a total of 89 cases, raising the count to a total of 941 positive cases detected as part of the local outbreak between June 18 and July 4. In addition to these, 10 positive cases were detected in people that arrived in Macau from other countries or regions, meaning a total number of positive cases in Macau of 951.
Of the 89 cases detected on July 4, the majority (66) continue to be cases detected in the community, while the other 23 were detected in areas under management and control by the authorities.
When questioned by the media, Leong said that these figures are not surprising and were expected by the authorities, adding that it is also expected that a significant number of other cases will be found after the conclusion yesterday at 6 p.m. of the first of a series of mass testing in the community.
Leong added that further analysis of how the outbreak is evolving will be only known at the end of the week, when the full results of the triple citywide NAT testing, as well as the intensive key group testing, are finalized.
Analyzing the figures collected, Leong mentioned that, of the 941 positive cases detected in the community, 559 are of people asymptomatic with the disease, while those with symptoms now total 382.
She also updated the figure of those under the observation of health authorities, which reached a total of 13,623 people (including the positive cases) as at 3 p.m. yesterday.
Two more clusters were also added to the list, now totaling 18, including 13 people who tested positive in connection with the Grand Lisboa Hotel and are now considered the 18th cluster.
Refusing to give more details at that time, Leong said only that these people, “who work in different areas of the hotel,” are related to the 11th cluster, linked to the dim sum restaurant “San Kam Wa” in Areia Preta district.
As for the 17th cluster, which has 17 people, authorities have not yet established a link with the other clusters.
71 mixed samples positive during mass testing
Authorities have found 71 mixed samples (10-in-1) that have tested positive for Covid-19 in the results of the first of a triple-round of citywide mass testing.
Dr. Leong Iek Hou said that, according to the procedure previously announced by the director of the Health Bureau, Alvis Lo, the services are ascertaining which people are infected from this large group of 500.
The new method presented by Lo includes a round of RATs for all those co-habiting in the same house as a first triage step and then, depending on the results, door-to-door NATs at their homes for those testing positive on the RAT.
Only if the NAT returns a positive result will they be taken by ambulance to the community center at the East Asian Games Dome, where the final triage and referral to treatment or quarantine is then carried out.
Of the 637,349 people who had been sampled yesterday, 575,424 had already received a negative result.
