Gov’t to only issue ‘complex’ footprints of positives from Case 501 onwards

From Case 501 onwards, itineraries of positive cases will no longer be published unless they are “complex trips,” public health doctor Leong Iek Hou of Health Bureau (SSM) announced yesterday.

Justifying the change, the public health doctor said that the health agency considered that, given the relatively large number of cases in Macau, most of their footprints had been across the city.

“During the early phase of this round of outbreak, we would like to [release footprint details] so that residents could compare them with their own,” Leong said. “However, this has become less required.”

Following Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng’s order to “not [lie] flat” but to keep tracing and quarantining or treating positive cases, the public health doctor added that SSM will continue its work in following up and controlling the situation.

“After Case 501, if the footprint details reported are simple, we will not release them to the public, unless there are complexities,” Leong concluded.

Before answering a question about the definition of a complex footprint record, the public health doctor did not forgo the chance to compliment local people for their obliging attitude.

“A majority of people are living a lifestyle in compliance with the government’s disease control and prevention measures, with many of them staying at home most of the time,” Leong said. “Accordingly, many positive cases have contracted the virus within their households.”

To answer the question, the public health doctor said that those who mainly stayed in their households would be considered simple itineraries. This, she pointed out, will no longer be disclosed publicly.

“However, if a set of itinerary concerns a relatively large number of public venues – which means not only their household or their independent workplace – this kind of itinerary will be announced,” the public health doctor added.

If a positive case has visited any casinos, this record will also be published, unless the SSM is not in possession of it, the public health doctor said.

On the fact that a cluster is related to the Shoppes at Four Seasons in the namesake hotel, Leong admitted that quite a significant number of cases have been detected as originating from there. The cases involve salespersons, security guards and cleaners. Leong added that as there are positives, there are close contacts and other related people.

“We have requested the mall owners to ask concerned shops to shut down for the time being,” the public health doctor added.

The public health doctor was then asked whether the Four Seasons would be identified as a Red zone, given the reportedly eight cases found inside or related to the premises.

“Let’s consider this,” the public health doctor said. “There the doors have been closed – you can go take a look there.”

“What is the reason for cordoning the place off?” She questioned, before answering the question herself. “To control people inside [an area] to not spread across the community.”

“However, it is a commercial venue,” she argued, “There is nobody inside. They are closed, which equals to being cordoned off.”

As the health official answered the question, social media users were criticizing her for not knowing the situation. They said that the shopping mall at the Four Seasons was operating normally.

To this, the public health doctor appealed to the large size and complexity of the Four Seasons premises. She pledged that further investigations as to whether increase the size of the shut-off area would be needed.

Leong did not give a definite answer to a question on whether disease control measures should be further tightened.

She also reminded eldery people and those with chronic diseases to be more vigilant than others because data showed that they are more vulnerable.