The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS), which oversees government-subsidized nurseries across the city, admitted yesterday that they could only “strongly recommend” that other nurseries suspend their services for the time being.
Choi Pui Ying, chief of the Division for Social Facility Licensing and Supervision of the bureau, was asked at the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center’s daily press conference why some nurseries have resumed operating.
She admitted that non-subsidized private nurseries are operating in response to market demand. As many companies have resumed operations, the need for daycare services has re-emerged, the official explained.
“Actually, the nurseries that have resumed are only taking 10% of their capacity,” Choi pointed out. “Also, they have notified us prior to their resumption [of service].”
Special arrangements have been made to protect health, according to Choi. For example, nurseries have distributed children across shortened sessions, so as to shrink the size of each session.
“Our nurses and staff have conducted spot checks on these facilities to ensure safety,” the official added.
Another reason behind nurseries reopening is that the normal admission period of nurseries commences around this time of the year. Nursery operators need to reopen to handle work and procedures in that respect.
Sheraton wraps up mission
The largest hotel that the city has so far used as a quarantine facility, the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, has officially been discharged from the mission, Inês Chan, head of the Department for Licensing and Supervision of the Macao Government Tourism Office, told yesterday’s press conference.
After sanitization was carried out as instructed by the Health Bureau, the part that was used for quarantine purposes will resume offering short-term accommodation.
There are now only two hotels – the 300-room Golden Crown China Hotel and the 298-room Pousada Marina Infante – that are still being used as quarantine facilities. Now only 163 people remain in these two hotels.
Chan said that the local tourism board does not see a significant future need for extra quarantine hotels, considering the special immigration measures enacted across the world.
One more recovered
Another of the city’s Covid-19 patients has recovered from the disease and has been transferred to the Public Health Clinical Center for recovery quarantine.
The recovered patient is a 32-year-old male resident, who is the fiancé of the city’s 11th Covid-19 patient, a female flight crew member of Korean nationality. The duo returned to Macau from Porto, Portugal, with stopovers in Dubai and Hong Kong.
In contrast to his fiancée’s immediate diagnosis upon arriving in Macau on March 15, the man did not test positive until near the end of his 14-day quarantine period. He was diagnosed on March 28.
He was hospitalized for 27 days. He did not develop pneumonia during his hospitalization.
Lo Iek Long, medical director of the Conde São Januário Hospital, explained that the patient was one of the mildest cases in the city, although he stayed in the medical facility for longer than some other Covid-19 patients.
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