Public concerned over alleged search of mainland workforce for quarantine hotels

A screen capture believed to be from a WeChat conversation about hiring a mainland workforce to work in Macau quarantine hotels went viral on social media yesterday.

The screen capture showed that an unknown entity is attempting to hire a quarantine workforce from the mainland to work in Macau. According to the information depicted, they will work in local quarantine hotels to distribute meals, maintain order at SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing sites, measure body temperatures and scan QR codes, among other responsibilities.

They will reportedly be remunerated with MOP22,000 per month by working eight hours per day. They will be required to take shifts but will receive extra pay for overtime working hours. Payment will be issued by month and the expected work duration will be four months.

Those with nursing backgrounds may be assigned to work at the makeshift hospital in Macao Dome or other hospitals in the city, the post added, to take care of those in need.

What worries the public is that the post highlighted that those with “excellent performance may have the chance to be hired by hotels as non-local workers” after the work period.

The post noted that they will depart for Macau in late July.

The screen capture has raised concern within members of the public, with social media users questioning it in the comment section of the live broadcast of the daily health press briefing about the matter.

Users emphasized the absurdity that a lot of Macau people are in fact unemployed but a mainland workforce is being brought to Macau.

A health official at the press briefing was questioned on the matter too. The official declined to comment, citing the fact that she had no information about the matter.

Meanwhile, former lawmaker Sulu Sou noted that, immediately after seeing the post, he sent a letter to the director of the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) to enquire on the matter.

He requested that the director verify the information. He also wanted to know whether the employer or the employment agency had made their best attempt to hire from the local workforce. The DSAL director was also asked to explain whether any such positions had been offered to local jobseekers, and how many of them had accepted similar offers.

On another matter, the former lawmaker slammed the health agency for being unprepared for severe SARS-CoV-2 cases being sent to the public hospital.

Recently, it was reportedly revealed by frontline medical staff that a severe case of the viral infection had been sent to the A&E of the public hospital. After resuscitation, the paramedics managed to save the patient, but was told that the isolation ward would not take the patient in “according to in-house guidelines.”

The patient was held at the A&E in a ward that was not supposed to hold SARS-CoV-2 positive cases for 10 hours before the Coloane facility was ready to take the patient in.

Sou criticized the occurrence as showing a lack of management, decision-making skills and preparation.