Mother and son returnees are latest confirmed cases

The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center announced today two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in Macau up to 41.

The 40th patient is a 47-year-old female resident of Macau. According to information released by the Center, the patient is a housewife who recently returned to Macau from the U.K. The 41st patient is a 20-year-old male resident who studies in the U.K. and is the son of the 40th patient.

The two of them departed from the British capital on March 26 on Cathay Pacific flight CX250, seats 22A and 22G. They arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport in the afternoon of March 27 and passed the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge using a chartered vehicle organized by the Tourism Crisis Management Office on the same evening.

At that time, the quarantine measures of the Health Bureau were arranged to carry out medical observation at the Royal Dragon Hotel.

The two latest patients were confirmed positive for the new coronavirus after nasopharyngeal swab test samples reviewed today. Pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus was then confirmed.

The two patients have been admitted to the isolation ward of the public hospital but are currently in a stable condition.

Four of their companions were listed as close contacts and arrangements have been made for medical observation at a temporary medical isolation center.

Separately, the health authorities reported in the early hours of this morning the discovery of the 39thconfirmed case of Covid-19.

The case is a nine-year-old girl who is the daughter of the city’s 34thcase. She is currently Macau’s youngest patient diagnosed with the Covid-19 disease.

The patient, her father and her older brother went to Manila, the Philippines, on January 17 and stayed in the country until March 18. The children were visiting their mother.

On March 18, the three of them travelled home on Cathay Pacific Airways flight 902 from Manila to Hong Kong. She travelled in business class, in seat number 14D.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, they took a bus to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge’s (HKZMB) Hong Kong boundary checkpoint, and then boarded a coach via the HKZMB to reach Macau.

Although none of them had respiratory symptoms as they arrived in Macau, they were instructed to perform a 14-day home quarantine under the current anti-pandemic requirements. They took bus route 101 from HKZMB to their residence at block I of Wah King Garden in Areia Preta.

Initial tests showed she was negative for the infection, but a third nasopharyngeal swab taken on March 30 confirmed that she had contracted the disease. AL

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