Philippine passport bearers required to take NAT every day

All Philippine passport bearers in Macau will need to take daily SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests (NAT) from today, regardless of whether they are Macau residents.

Defending the decision, Health Bureau (SSM) public health doctor Leong Iek Hou said that 9.5% of all 1,795 cases detected since June 18 involved Philippine citizens. “We have excluded those with Macau IDs,” she added.

The public health doctor referenced last year’s decision to implement NAT requirements in relation to key groups as a further justification for the measure. Last year, the city ran several tests on groups including those of Indonesian and Burmese origin, security guards, construction workers, among others.

The government has been employing the term “key group” to refer to those who need to be tested when others in the population do not.

Described by many social media users as racist, the upcoming testing requirements will apply to all Philippine passport holders in Macau. Those Macau residents with Philippine passports will need to undergo the test as well. Stay-in domestic helpers from the Philippines will also be tested daily.

Leong was grilled by members of the press at yesterday’s regular health press briefing about the allegedly racist nature of the test.

Defending the need for the test, the public health doctor recapped the “relatively high risks” encountered by people of that nationality, reflected in the 9.5% proportion of the entire infected population. “From data analysis, we have concluded that they are at higher risk,” Leong said. “We need to allocate our resources to riskier groups as the city nears its consolidation period.”

Meanwhile, the public health doctor also announced yesterday that a key area has been identified. The area will cover the neighborhoods along Rua do Seminário, Rua da Praia do Manduco, Camōes Garden and San Kio. 

From today, those living and working within the key area, as well as those who have stayed there longer than 0.5 hours after July 18, will be required to be tested every day until July 24.

About 15,000 people currently reside or work in this area, Leong said.

Again, the public health doctor attributed the need to test to the frequent detection of new positive cases within the area.

As to why regular tests are needed for these groups of people, the public health doctor said in addition that it would be helpful for early detection and confinement or hospitalization. 

These two groups of people will have no exceptions, meaning that the elderly, infants, children, and those who do not need to leave homes will still need to be tested.

Missing a test will result in their health codes being changed to yellow, while missing two consecutive tests will change the health code to red, the public health doctor said. To restore green codes, they will need to take a test.

The public health doctor added that the SSM will consider the need to identify any other areas as key areas for frequent NATs based on the results of constant evaluation. As such, she warned all members of the public to ensure they have registered the correct addresses on their health code to avoid being erroneously identified as falling within any key areas that may be designated.

Leong recapped the comments of her superintendent, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong, from Wednesday, saying that those required to leave home for work will need to take regular NATs at two-day intervals between July 24 and 29.

She that the definition of this group of people include those who have or will have left home for work between July 20 and 29; such people will need to take the test at two-day intervals, regardless of their work hours and professions.

A person affected by this rule is only required to take the test the day before the date on which they need to leave home for work. For example, if they stay home until July 25 and leave home for work July 26, they will need to take the test on July 25 at the earliest. Once they initiate the test cycle, they will need to follow the two-day intervals until July 29, according to the public health doctor.

Despite this, the public health doctor added that people are free to take the test even if they are not part of any of the key groups, key areas or working groups.

Tests can be booked through the booking link below the health code application platform. As the test is free-of-charge, results will not be eligible for the purposes of border crossing.

In terms of daily SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RATs), Leong emphasized that all members of the public will need to conduct them daily from July 23 to 29, regardless of their working locations, key group or areas conditions, or other factors.

Daily Covid-19 cases during the partial lockdown