The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, said the Government was devoted to strengthening Macao’s capability to deal with COVID-19, based on its experience in handling the retreating outbreak that had begun on 18 June.
In addition, the Government was analysing details of a subsidy scheme to benefit all Macao ID holders, while dedicating utmost effort to boosting economic recovery work.
Mr Ho shared details of the Government’s work on Tuesday (9 August) during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Assembly. A number of Legislative Assembly members asked questions about the city’s anti-epidemic work, its economic recovery effort, and a 10-billion-pataca subsidy scheme for all Macao residents.
Thanks to concerted effort from the community, Macao was now classified as a low-risk area in terms of COVID-19 infection, and the number of infections recorded because of the 18 June outbreak had been half that anticipated by experts from the mainland, Mr Ho said.
The Chief Executive thanked all front-line personnel, medical professionals, civil servants, all sections of Macao society, and members of the public in general, for their contribution in helping to contain spread of infection in the community. Mr Ho expressed gratitude to those civil servants from the administration, and from legislative and judicial bodies, that had volunteered for front-line duties, especially those supporting provision of subsistence for people in ‘red code’ zones.
Mr Ho also expressed his appreciation to those in social service and prison operations that implemented closed-loop management of infection risk, saying their sacrifice and selfless devotion helped saved lives, and protected the health of service users.
The Omicron BA.5 variant was highly transmissible, and Macao was the first place in the country to battle the spread of the new variant. More work might need to be done by the Government in order to respond in future to any sudden outbreak. The Government was working to optimise local anti-epidemic management. Also, anti-epidemic policy, including measures implemented on a daily basis, would continue to be consistent with standards on the mainland, he said.
On economic subsidy for Macao ID holders, the first 10-billion-pataca scheme was being finalised, and should be ready to be implemented from 17 August. The Government was garnering opinion for a second 10-billion-pataca scheme. Beneficiaries for the latter scheme would only be Macao ID holders; non-resident workers were not included, said Mr Ho.
In addition, the Government had stepped up effort to attract more tourists to visit Macao, in order to support local economic recovery. Since 3 August, Macao was categorised as a low-risk area, and quarantine-free travel between Macao and Zhuhai had been resumed. The Government had then liaised immediately with the mainland authorities regarding tourism promotion, to let more people on the mainland know about the resumption of quarantine-free travel to Macao. Meanwhile, the Government had partnered with Air Macau, and renowned travel agencies on the mainland, on tourism promotion work.
The Government had been in communication with the mainland authorities on resumption of group travel to Macao, said Mr Ho. The Government had also been working with the mainland authorities on the possibility of allowing residents from more mainland cities to visit Macao under the facilitated individual travel (FIT) scheme.
Macao immigration and quarantine policy was basically consistent with policy implemented on the mainland. As long as Macao was a low-risk area, travellers from the mainland’s low-risk areas could enjoy quarantine-free travel to Macao, said Mr Ho. With the exception of mainland residents, people were required to undergo medical observation on arrival to Macao, in order not to create barriers to boundary-crossing activities between the mainland and Macao, said Mr Ho.
During Tuesday’s session, the Chief Executive had answered questions from a total of 31 members of the Legislative Assembly. Topics discussed included: mental support for the population during the COVID-19 pandemic; employment protection; the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; nascent industries; adequate economic diversification; the gaming concessions public tender; bond issuance; the housing ladder; and reform of public administration.