The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre received a report from Zhuhai this morning (7 August) that a case tested positive for COVID-19 by nucleic acid test (NAT) has recent travel records between Macao and Zhuhai. Since the case has repeatedly travelled through the Barrier Gate Checkpoint on 5 and 6 August, in order to assess the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the local community, a Key Area NAT drive will be launched for individuals who live or work at the key areas frequently visited by the positive case.
Individuals in the following key area are required to undergo a nucleic acid test tomorrow (8 August); those who have participated in the NAT drive for key groups of workers on that day need not repeat the test.
The targets of this NAT drive for key area include:
- People who live or work in the area surrounded by Praça das Portas do Cerco, Rua da Paz, Rua Dois do Bairro Iao Hon, Rua Quatro do Bairro Iao Hon, Istmo de Ferreira do Amaral, Travessa de Artur Tamagnini Barbosa, Rua de Lei Pou Ch'ôn, Travessa Um da Cidade Nova de T'oi Sán, Rua Dois da Cidade Nova de T'oi Sán, Rua do Canal das Hortas and Rua dos Currais;
- People who have stayed at the above place(s) for more than half an hour on or after 5 August.
Taking into account the high risk of infection in the area, infants and young children born after 1 July 2019, as well as the elderly and disabled persons who have difficulty in walking or who need care from others, are not exempted from this NAT drive.
According to the Centre, a text message will be sent to people living in the key area reminding them to book for the nucleic acid test. If the NAT is not performed as required, the health code will be changed to a yellow code on the next day. The above target individuals may schedule for the NAT viahttps://eservice.ssm.gov.mo/allpeoplernatestbook.
To cooperate with this NAT drive, all sampling stations in the territory will open from 08:00 to 24:00 tomorrow (8 August). In addition to the existing sampling stations that have been operating today, the Sino-Portuguese Technical Professional School – Indoor Sports Hall and the Community Services Building of the General Union of Neighbourhood Association of Macao (Caring Station) will also be deployed as NAT stations.
Before heading to the NAT station for sampling, members of the public must first perform a rapid antigen self-test (RAT) and declare the result via the Macao Health Code. Only those who have a negative RAT result can be sampled at the NAT stations. If the RAT result is positive, regardless of whether having fever, respiratory symptoms or other discomfort, an ambulance should be called (Tel: 119, 120 or 2857 2222). The declarant and the co-living individuals must stay home and wait patiently for being transferred to the quarantine site by the designated ambulance. Relevant nucleic acid testing will be arranged for all of them by the authorities.
Failure to declare the correct and up-to-date address in the Macao Health Code may result in the declarant being classified as an individual in the lockdown or precautionary zone, and thus assigned with a health code locked in red or yellow colour. To avoid this from happening, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre urges citizens to review the information of “residential address” in their Macao Health Code as soon as possible. If the declared address is incorrect, or you are not sure whether the address registered with the Identification Services Bureau is up-to-date, please immediately fill in the address information again in the Macao Health Code.
