The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre (hereinafter referred to as the “Centre”) indicates that in the light of the changing epidemic situations globally and in the surrounding regions, the risk of thedisease being imported into Macao is very high; hence, the “Points to Note for Organizing or Attending Meal Gathering Events” has been formulated, requiring organisers and participants of meal gathering events to strictly abide by various epidemic prevention requirements and work together to minimize the risk of epidemic transmission.
According to the requirements of the “Points to Note for Organizing or Attending Meal Gathering Events”, for meal gathering events with 200 or more people held by public departments, organisations or groups, nucleic acid testing for participants and staff is mandatory; the venue or service provider is obliged to remind the organiser of the requirements upon accepting the reservation. Besides, the hosts of banquets celebrating a wedding, full moon, birthday, retirement or other occasions who have a definite need to make a toast should also meet the above-mentioned requirements on negative nucleic acid test certificates; hence, the venues or service provider should remind organisers of the requirements when accepting reservations.
In addition, organizers of meal gathering events should limit the scale and density of people, keep distance between seats as far as possible, and shorten the duration of activities; record the contact method of participants during registration, record the list of participants and corresponding table number upon entry, and keep such record properly for 28 days to facilitate tracing whenever necessary; require participants to present their health code, submit to body temperature monitoring and record their visit with the health code; holders of yellow/red health codes or people with fever or respiratory symptoms, contacts of COVID-19 cases, as well as people at higher risk (including those who have been to an epidemic area within the past 14 days) must be denied entry into the venue; do not offer off-table toasting activities, or instead change to symbolic toasting activities with masks on; after the event, if participants, workers or performers are found positive in nucleic acid test for COVID-19, listed as at-risk groups (such as close contacts, contacts of close contacts, sharing common activity track), have travel history to medium or high risk areas, or have developed fever or respiratory symptoms in clusters, notify the organizer and the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control of the Health Bureau.
For participants of meal gathering events, it is advised that those who have not completed the primary vaccination course or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should avoid participating in gathering activities whenever possible; all participants should wear a mask and use serving chopsticks and spoons as much as possible; complete health declaration truthfully for health code application and record visits; do not participate in meal gathering events if you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection or have been to areas with community transmission of COVID-19.
The guideline has also laid out corresponding anti-epidemic requirements for venue and service providers, such as: make sure that workers are not listed in the at-risk population groups (such as close contacts or contacts of close contacts), not holders of yellow or red health code, or have not travelled to epidemic areas within the past 14 days; ensure that workers follow relevant anti-epidemic guidelines, including requirements on vaccination and nucleic acid testing; besides, workers in kitchens, waiters and cleaning workers should also wear a mask during work. For further information on the anti-epidemic requirements for meal gathering events, please refer to the “Points to Note for Organizing or Attending Meal Gathering Events” or visit the prevention guidelines column in the Special Webpage against Epidemics (https://www.ssm.gov.mo/apps1/PreventCOVID-19/ch.aspx#clg17668).