No date set for citywide Covid-19 test yet: Alvis Lo confirms

In yesterday’s Covid-19 media briefing, director of the Health Bureau (SSM) Alvis Lo rebutted the rumors circulating online and reaffirmed that the government has yet to set a specific date for the proposed citywide Covid-19 testing scheme for all Macau residents.
“The scheme is still in its preparatory stage, and we still have not determined a timeframe for that yet,” Lo emphasized.
His confirmation came one day after the government announced a decision to conduct mass testing for all residents in Macau, should the situation in nearby cities continue to deteriorate.
Decisions on whether to implement a citywide testing regime and who would be required to undergo testing as part of the scheme all come down to the “actual pandemic situation” at the time, Lo said.
“If a confirmed case with only limited contact with others is detected in Macau, we may only organize smaller-scale and regional testing for some people. In that case, citywide Covid-19 testing is not needed,” he explained.
If the pandemic escalates in the future, Lo stated that the government has not ruled out the possibility that only those who have been fully vaccinated will be granted entry to Macau from Guangdong Province.
He pointed to the stark difference in vaccination rate between Macau and Zhuhai. In Zhuhai, 90% of the population aged 18-60 have received at least an initial dose, compared to 2% for Macau.
In the wake of the worsening Covid-19 situation in Guangdong Province, the Macau SAR government has also mandated tighter controls in its entry requirements. As of 10 a.m. on June 8, the government reduced the validity period of a negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result from seven to two days, for those entering Macau from Guangdong Province.
He reiterated that the authorities would continue to work on identifying the 30 sample collection stations for the proposed citywide testing regime, which the government said has a targeted completion within four days.
On those four days, the government also intends to restrict particular high-risk activities and prevent crowds from gathering. Meanwhile, the city’s vaccination activities will be halted to facilitate the progress of citywide testing.
Lo took the occasion yesterday to encourage the public to get inoculated as quickly as possible to prepare for the worst and help protect the community.