Medical director calls on public to halt shaming of returnees

At the end of the daily press briefing yesterday, Lo Iek Long, medical director of the Conde São Januário Hospital, took three minutes to explain that it is useless to blame returning residents for increasing the number of Covid-19 cases.
On the social media pages of several entities, including some local news outlets, the Government Information Bureau, and the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, users have been posting comments to show their disapproval of Macau residents returning from Europe.
For example, a comment on yesterday’s live broadcast of the press conference reads, “The government should mandate Macau ID holders who have not lived in the city for the past seven years to pay their bills if they get hospitalized in Macau for Covid-19.”
“We are aware of the occurrence of hate or discriminatory speech against these new patients,” Lo stated. “Personal data of some patients was even publicized online.”
Lo expressed that these kinds of comments do not help the situation. “My opinion is that such comments do no good for the containment of the virus,” Lo explained. “We should not differentiate between returning and local residents.”
At the press conference, the authorities were also asked about whether the quarantined returnees had opened their hotel room windows or left their rooms, as some reports have already indicated.
“People being quarantined may do unacceptable things out of fear or anxiety,” the medical doctor explained. “In this difficult time, we should be united to fight against the pandemic.”
He stressed that the majority of people in Macau, whether they are parents, children or members of the public, have been diligent in the fight. “The public should rest assured that we will do our part if a minority of people do not follow the rules,” Lo stated.
Another social media comment asked why Hong Kong was not able to intercept cases confirmed by Macau. Indeed, four from the nine new cases were intercepted at a Macau border checkpoint.
Lo explained that this was due to the special mechanism that was agreed to by Macau and Hong Kong. “Even if the Hong Kong side spotted patients, they will be sent to Macau due to the consensus,” Lo pointed out.
With regards to false travel history declarations, Lo said that the authorities so far have no evidence to prove them.
Another major topic yesterday was the facemask supply scheme. Today is the start of the seventh round of mask sales in Macau.
This round will be no different to the previous rounds. People should not rush to mask sale locations at the beginning of the sale, because the quantity is guaranteed to be sufficient.
Following complaints about the quality of masks, with some masks so thin they were nearly transparent, Lo mentioned that the local government first checks the certification provided by the manufacturers. “These certifications should stipulate reliability that meets our requirements,” Lo explained.
The local health authority also conducts quality checks on the masks before they are sold. However, considering the large volumes, not all products are able to be checked. A total of 34 million facemasks have been sold in the past 60 days, Lo revealed.
The medical doctor noted that the health authority is receptive to reports of low-quality facemasks. Lo encouraged the public to report to his bureau if quality concerns arise.
The panel was also asked about the number of Portuguese citizens currently quarantined in Macau. Leong Iek Hou, coordinator at the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated the number was 14. She emphasized that only self-declared Portuguese citizens and those who entered Macau with a Portuguese passport were counted.
The health authority also hinted that approaching the government hospital for medical assistance is safe. The triage procedures will differentiate Covid-19 patients from others.
Inês Chan, an official from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), reminded the currently quarantined population that causing disturbances during their quarantine period may result in criminal prosecution.