Health Bureau raises MERS alert level to high

Lam Chong, Lei Chin Ion and Lei Wai Seng

Macau’s health authorities raised their response to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) from a standard alert to a high-
level alert yesterday evening, as the virus’s outbreak in South Korea was regarded as placing neighboring regions at greater risk.
The Health Bureau (SSM) held a press conference yesterday to announce that its approach to addressing the deadly virus had been lifted to the second alert level in a four-level scale, under which a mask is required to be worn when entering local healthcare facilities as a precaution against MERS. Meanwhile, it issued a travel recommendation advising local citizens to avoid going to South Korea unless absolutely necessary.
“This is not a travel alert; we are just suggesting that citizens avoid travel to South Korea if it’s not really necessary, for instance going for tourism. If one really has to go there, one must evaluate the risk before departure and be aware of personal hygiene while in the country by washing hands frequently, avoiding visiting medical institutions and wearing a mask in public,” said the SSM director Lei Chin Ion.
With South Korea’s confirmed infection cases continuing to increase, of which many belonged to third-level infection [which means that new cases have emerged without contact with the first patient to bring the virus in], the SSM now notes a higher risk of epidemic breakout within the community, although currently the disease in Korea has only been spread within medical institutions.
Lei explained that “there is so far no evidence that the virus would be contracted from human to human, but the out-
break risk in the community is increasing.” In response to this increased risk, the bureau has decided to carry out further measures, such as body temperature checks at immigration for every passenger arriving from Korea.
The number of inbound passengers from Korea to Macau is estimated at 500 to 700 every day, most of whom disembark from a total of three direct flights, according to Lei.
“South Korea is considered a neighboring region to Macau; when a neighboring region’s outbreak extends to its community, we will raise our response to the serious level,” he added.
Health authorities also tightened their detection of suspected cases to fever and respiratory symptoms. They will increase their reserves of MERS virus testing reagents to 2,000 whilst deploying test personnel around the clock. In addition, visiting hours at public hospitals will shortened.
In addition, the SSM has cancelled compulsory attendance among its staff to mandatory exchange events, including an international annual conference in nursing to be held in Seoul this month. Moreover, Lei said that all the administrative officials in the Health Bureau, as well as those in affiliated hospitals and medical centers, are suspended from taking holidays in order to remain alert and firm at their posts.
According to Lei Wai Seng, head of the Emergency Department at Hospital Conde S. Januário, a typical test result indicating MERS could come out within three to six hours, depending on whether or not the procedure goes smoothly. As for possible venues to be used for quarantine, the SSM has requisitioned the Youth Hostel located in Coloane, and a Vacation House in Hac Sa Beach as a back-up.
Furthermore, he revealed that a previous isolation center located in Coloane’s mountaintop is being rebuilt and is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of this year. By then, the government would no longer need to rent civic facilities for quarantine.
As for residents’ concerns over a “potential epidemic spread” caused by the use of the Youth Hostel for quarantine, the head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Lam Chong, stressed that “people under quarantine are healthy but only identified as close contacts with MERS patient. Besides, one is not allowed to leave the isolation center and will be immediately sent to the hospital once any sign of infection appears.”

hk raises level to ‘serious’

The Hong Kong SAR government yesterday raised its MERS response level to “serious” and advised the public to avoid traveling to South Korea.

problematic korean visitor not found

Regarding the bureau’s search for a Korean visitor who entered Macau after coming into contact with a MERS patient on a flight to HK, Lei Chin Ion said the visitor’s whereabouts in the city are still unknown. However, so far none of the passengers who have identified themselves as having been in close contact with the index patient have reported symptoms. The missing visitor’s chance of infection is thus estimated as “not high.” “If there’s still no symptoms after the 14-day incubation period, there will be no need to keep searching,” he said.