Legislative Assembly begins to reconvene under special arrangements

Lawmakers met yesterday at the AL for a meeting of the Follow-up Committee of Public Administration Affairs where they were briefed by the government on the main measures taken to prevent the spread of the contagious coronavirus known as Covid-19.
Among the information provided to lawmakers, the president of the Committee, Si Ka Lon said that the government has promised that it will give two weeks’ notice for the schools reopening date so families, students, and schools are well prepared to restart the academic year.
Yesterday’s special session was the first time lawmakers have met since before the Chinese Lunar New Year.
The lawmakers gathered at the AL to discuss and be briefed on the operational procedures of the AL during the upcoming days. Among the changes in force is the scheduling of all committee meetings in the plenary room instead of the AL meeting rooms. These arrangements are to provide a larger space between each lawmaker and government representatives during the sessions as a preventive measure included in the government’s plan to contain the outbreak of the Covid-19.
Another of the new measures is the mandatory use of protective face masks inside the AL building, similar to what is currently occurring in all public services, public transportation and some private establishments across the city.
During this week, several other meetings for the same two committees have been scheduled on topics such as discussion of the bill on “electronic government” as well as the amendments to Law 11/2009 which relates to the cybercrime law.
The Legislative Assembly resumes activities from the First and Second Standing Committees today. The meetings, scheduled for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., will address the amendments to the Law 5/2006 on the responsibilities and authority of the Judiciary Police, and the bill on the fundamental rules for the application of Macau laws at the new cross-border checkpoint of Hengqin and the surrounding areas.
According to the calendar published on the AL website, plenary sessions at Macau’s legislature will not return until at least the end of this month.