Secretary Ao Ieong curbs association’s CNY dining events

Local associations should avoid organizing Lunar New Year celebrations that involve catering, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong recently told the press.

She added that if these celebrations are organized, masks must be on for the duration of the events to lower the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak in Macau.

Local associations will nonetheless be permitted to organize Lunar New Year celebrations, as least for the time being.

The senior official emphasized that the city has been seeing some imported cases recently. The government may issue new guidelines when necessary. Currently, clearance remains for Lunar New Year firecracker sales, floats and fireworks displays.

Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes revealed recently that fireworks display will be staged on February 3, 7 and 15.

Footprint tracing will be introduced at these events, meaning that footprint recording QR codes will be posted at the venue. The MGTO director did not say whether it will be mandatory.

Last Thursday, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre reiterated that footprint registration is completely voluntary and that nobody should be forced to scan the QR code.

“After all, we have introduced ‘venue QR codes’ [footprint recording] at the Light Festival already,” the official said.

In addition, she expects footprint recording QR codes to be posted in major events in the future, adding that by the end of this month QR codes will be posted at hotels and restaurants licensed by the MGTO.

Local tours incentives to resume 

Senna Fernandes disclosed that the “Stay, Dine and See Macao” local tour and staycation scheme will resume this year. The authorities and the industry are currently discussing possible itineraries, and new elements will be added alongside existing popular routes, such as the marine tour.

The public should expect the new routes to be announced this month, she said.

Senna Fernandes also relayed recent news that businesses are gradually reviving. Some businesses, she said, are trying to extend work hours to weekends. She expects longer operating hours will come, if revenues are on the rise.

Activities will be organized in various districts to attract tourists to visit older districts.

Her current estimate for tourist arrivals over the Lunar New Year period surpasses 40,000 per day on average, with 50,000 as a high benchmark to reach. She also expects hotel bookings will be on the rise too.

Civil servants with booster shot exempted from one-day work

Civil servants who have received the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine since November 15, 2021, can reasonably take one day of work off, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced yesterday.

The health authorities also advised that the target group for the third booster dose has been adjusted after January 6, with the third booster dose recommended for people aged 18 or above who have received two doses of inactivated or mRNA vaccine, without restricting it to those with high risk of exposure or low immunity.

The interval between doses of the third booster for those with urgent needs will also be relaxed, so that the third dose can be administered three months (no less than 12 weeks) after the second dose.

Also, civil servants who provide proof of vaccine doses will not have to undergo a weekly nucleic acid test. The measure is set to take place from February 21. MDT