Entertainment venues and facilities can resume operations from tomorrow, August 18, according to the government’s scheduled lifting of Covid-19 pandemic-related mandates. The relaxation of restrictions was revealed yesterday, as the city had seen no new Covid-19 cases for 13 consecutive days.
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre’s decision to allow certain venues to resume full-swing operations was made after considering “the improvement in the epidemic situation in Macau.”The relaxed measures are intended to ensure “a gradual resumption of normal economic activities and normal life in the city.”
Recreational venues permitted to reopen include cinemas, theatres, indoor amusement parks, game centers, cybercafes, billiard rooms, bowling centers, saunas, massage parlors, beauty salons, gyms, health clubs, karaoke lounges, bars, and more.
The facilities under the supervision of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) will also reopen from tomorrow onwards, with the exception of the Parenting Education Center.
Subsidized nurseries and social facilities under the Social Welfare Bureau will also resume services tomorrow. Visits to the elderly and rehabilitation centers will be reinstated as well.
Under the same guidelines, the public sports facilities and cultural facilities under the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will reopen tomorrow as well.
Following the city’s recording of four Delta cases on August 3, the government mandated the closure of these venues on August 5.
The government attributed the success in controlling the pandemic to the “cooperation of the public regarding the Government’s epidemic-control measures, and the relentless efforts from the health, public security, and municipal affairs authorities.”
Despite the lifting of restrictions, the government has called on the public and owners of the recreational venues to continue to pay close attention to potential contagion risks and comply with anti-pandemic measures.
The government also suggested that staff request patrons to display a valid health code before entering the premises.
The Health Bureau (SSM) vows to closely monitor the pandemic situation and make appropriate adjustments as required.
In addition, the Public Administration Building at Rua Do Campo reopened yesterday, after being closed since August 12 for sanitization due to a confirmed case visiting the building on July 29.
Isolated zones slated to reopen
The red and yellow zones will reopen from August 18, provided that Macau sees no further confirmed cases over the coming days. The absence of any further confirmed cases will be seen as an indication that the Covid-19 outbreak has been kept in check.
The relaxation of measures was revealed by Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at yesterday’s Covid-19 briefing.
She added that if no cases are found today among those residing in red and yellow zones, close contacts and secondary close contacts, the government will reopen the two zones on August 18. Today will mark 14 consecutive days since Macau has registered a Covid-19 case and will meet the mainland’s precondition for lifting certain restrictions.
Tomorrow, residents in the affected areas will see their health code transform to green again if no further cases are detected.
So far, 2,435 people have undergone some form of medical observation after the emergence of the four confirmed cases on August 3.
Of these, 78 have been classified as close contacts, 699 as secondary close contacts, 164 people were classified with the red Yuekang code, and 33 people had been to a red code zone. There are 1,459 people who crossed paths with positive cases. Meanwhile, 286 people have been quarantined in the red code area. HT
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