Gov’t urged to enhance internal communication and vaccination promotion

Lawmaker Agnes Lam called on Chief Executive (CE) Ho Iat Seng, in a written query, to review the handling of the previous three-day citywide mass testing.
She outlined several chaotic scenes that took place since the four Delta cases were reported in Macau on August 3. They include cross-border commuters being forced to sleep on the streets due to a sudden mandate requiring people leaving Macau to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test conducted within 24 hours, and long queues at testing stations on the first day of the mass testing.
Lam ascribed the turmoil on the first day of the mass testing to poor management and a lack of coordination and communication by the government, leading to confusing arrangments such as there being “no limit on the number of appointments”, “no segregation between registered and walk-in residents” — and the disorder that ensued.
Earlier, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U said in a media briefing on August 4, that she only became aware of the many mainland workers sleeping on the streets when she received images sent by her friends.
Lam raised doubts about Ao’s apparent late awareness of the situation, considering that there were police patrolling at control points and the city’s surveillance cameras abound.
Lam asked whether these scenes of chaos were caused by a breakdown of communication between frontline staff and directors in change, insufficient communication and coordination between departments to deal with emergencies, or intrinsic faults in the authorization and decision-making mechanisms within the government.
Lam asked for answers from the CE on how to strengthen the communication between departments.
Given the current pandemic situation, the government cancelled the CE’s question-and-answer session at Legislative Assembly, originally scheduled to be hosted on August 10. Hence, Lam turned to a written query to convey public opinions to Ho.
In a separate query from lawmaker Mak Soi Kun, he urged the government to step up its efforts to promote vaccination.
Mak stated that the vaccination rates among locals and medical staff currently stand at 42% and 66% respectively, still some distance away from the rate required to achieve herd immunity.
Herd immunity is one of the significant ways safeguard public health and revive the economy, he opined.

MUST sees 29 volunteers for PCR test scheme

In response to the government’s call for a citywide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) acted swiftly and expanded its testing capacities.
The citywide PCR test started at 9 a.m. on August 4 and ended at 9 a.m. on August 7.
After the announcement, teachers and students from the Faculty of Medicine of the MUST leveraged their medical expertise to serve the society.
According to a statement from the MUST, eight teachers, six administrative staff members and 15 students “proactively and immediately” volunteered for the scheme. The university described them as showcasing their manifesto by working diligently and without delay day and night.
“This citywide PCR test is the first in history [of Macau] and it has received full support and cooperation from all walks of life at a critical moment,” the university noted. “The faculty and students of the Faculty of Medicine of the MUST feel very honored [to have participated in this scheme].”
The university also encouraged local people to stay united and vigilant in the fight against the virus. AL