The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ao Ieong U, said results of nucleic acid testing from a declared red-code zone and key district were crucial for the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government to assess if there were need for further anti-epidemic measures.
Macao had been notified in the morning on Wednesday (26 October) by the Zhuhai authorities, regarding a 10-in-1 mixed test sample that had generated a ‘positive’ result for COVID-19 infection and indicated a cycle threshold (CT) value measured at 32. Eight of the samples were of people from Macao. The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre of the MSAR immediately activated the emergency response mechanism, and arranged for the eight people concerned to undergo individual testing in Macao. Among them, a 66-year-old female Macao resident produced a ‘positive’ result for COVID-19.
Epidemiological investigation was immediately carried out, and showed the patient concerned had relatively simple travel patterns within Macao. The case had been classified as imported.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ms Ao Ieong said there was an aggregate of 2,900 students in the key district, and they could attend school but were required to undergo a nucleic acid test each day for three days, until Friday (28 October). School attendance for the 70 students and teachers in aggregate that were living in the red-code zone had been suspended. Those students were studying at home, and any examinations would be handled in a flexible manner.
The Secretary called on all schools to adhere closely to all anti-epidemic guidelines. They included checks on the body temperature of anyone entering school premises, and those entering making a declaration under the Macao Health Code system.
In addition, Ms Ao Ieong said, when answering questions from reporters, that the Government and the tourism sector were pressing ahead with arrangements for resumption of tour groups to Macao from the “four provinces and one city”, i.e., Guangdong Province, Zhejiang Province, Jiangsu Province, Fujian Province and Shanghai Municipality.
Ms Ao Ieong also said relevant arrangements had been completed and that she believed that – at this stage – events had no impact on such work.