No turning back on reopening amid pandemic peak: Ho Iat Seng
There would not be any backtrack on the reopening of the city as the easing of restrictions was aimed at “opening up, so everyone could soon resume their normal life,” the Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said.
Ho made the comment during a meeting with the press on Christmas eve at Macau International Airport.
In a move that caught many by surprise, China announced a major easing of its rigid “zero-Covid” restrictions two weeks ago, while Macau followed suit.
The easing of restrictions has led to a rise of Covid-19 cases with the government expecting the peak of the outbreak to occur this week or next.
As part of the city’s gradual reopening, from December 23, those arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan or foreign countries will no longer need to be tested upon arrival nor be given a red health code.
Upon arrival, these travelers’ health code will turn yellow and will be required to conduct daily rapid antigen testing for five consecutive days.
The test results must be uploaded to the Macao Health Code system. If all required tests produce “negative” results, their code will then turn green.
After arrivals in the city, there is no restrictions for subsequent travel, yet entry to mainland China is permitted only after the midnight of the ninth day after the day of arrival.
Meanwhile, in the present phase, the MSAR government would focus on management of illness.
According to Ho, he expected the Central Government would announce soon updates regarding requirements for nucleic acid testing, adding that Macau had to keep up with the mainland in terms of anti-epidemic measures.
Dawn was on the horizon, and everyone must do their best during this challenging period, in order to restore normality to society, Ho said.
Ho pledged that his government would give its “full support to the public, and would ensure supplies of medication to medical institutions.”
The government would invite medical professionals practising in private institutions to support the public hospital, especially the emergency department. This was to ensure the safety of those with severe symptoms, the elderly and children.
In addition, a total of 1,000 beds were available at the Islands District Medical Complex. Medical professionals to support that would be allocated accordingly. More than 4,500 beds had been allocated at designated hotels for those in need.
Another Covid-related deaths reported
The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center reported that two female senior citizens, aged 75 and 77, passed away due to the coronavirus. Also, 49 symptomatic cases were recovered yesterday.
Booster not allowed for those infected in the past three months
Authorities stated that individuals infected with Covid-19 in the past three months are not eligible for vaccination and should postpone their vaccination. The date is counted from the last positive nucleic acid test or rapid antigen test. MDT
