Addressing yesterday’s weekly press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, the Health Bureau’s (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou announced that local residents can start to make an online appointment today for their COVID-19 vaccinations, which will commence on February 22.

The government’s COVID-19 vaccination appointment system was already launched a few days ago for medical workers to make an appointment to get their jabs – starting today.

Leong also said that the COVID-19 vaccination online appointment system was also opened yesterday to other groups of people whom the government has deemed will be among the first to be inoculated, and whose vaccinations also start today.

According to Leong, those given priority for COVID-19 vaccinations – who could start to make an appointment yesterday evening to get their jabs – comprise three groups of people, namely 1) those working on the frontline against COVID-19, such as medical workers, immigration and customs officers working at the city’s checkpoints, police officers, firefighters, 2) those working in occupations that are subject to a high COVID-19 risk, such as air crew members, public transport drivers, those working in the frozen food sector, teaching staff, staff of social service facilities, and casino workers, and 3) those who need to travel to areas affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, such as those who need to study or work there.

The inoculations of those in the three priority groups – the first phase of the government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive – start at 9 a.m. today.

Leong said that in the campaign’s second phase, COVID-19 vaccinations will start for all local residents, who can start to make an appointment at 12 p.m. today on https://eservice.ssm.gov.mo/covidvacbook. Their vaccinations will start on February 22.

Schedule for non-resident workers’ jabs not yet decided

Leong said that in the third phase, the government’s COVID-19 vaccination appointment system will be open to non-resident workers, non-local students enrolled in Macau and all other non-locals who have a permit to stay in Macau. Leong said that the government will only decide when it will launch the third phase after assessing the operation of its COVID-19 vaccination drive’s first phase and second phase and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in Macau.

Leong noted that non-locals who have a permit to stay in Macau include the family members of non-resident workers employed in Macau, such as their spouse or offspring.

Free jabs also for non-local prisoners

The government announced yesterday details of its COVID-19 vaccination programme in an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO), according to which local residents, non-resident workers, non-local students enrolled in Macau and non-local inmates in the local prison are covered by the government’s free-of-charge COVID-19 vaccination drive.

250 patacas per jab for non-locals

According to the order, which was signed by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng early this month, the government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme also covers non-locals who hold a permit to stay in Macau, but they will have to pay 250 patacas for each jab – which means that they will have to pay 500 patacas to get vaccinated against COVID-19 considering that each person requires two jabs.

Yesterday’s executive order also means that the family members of non-resident workers employed in Macau will have to pay to get COVID-19 jabs. The vaccination drive will be carried out on a voluntary basis.

The first batch of inactivated vaccines developed by Beijing-based China National Pharmaceutical Group (also known as Sinopharm) – 100,000 doses – was delivered to Macau on Saturday, when Health Bureau Director Lei Chin Ion told reporters that his bureau has ordered a total of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines. The health chief said that the local government was striving for the remaining 400,000 doses to be delivered to Macau as soon as possible.

Lei also said on Saturday that the local government now expects the first batch of mRNA vaccines developed by Germany’s BioNTech to be delivered to Macau later this month or next month. The local government now expects the adenovirus vector vaccines jointly developed by the Anglo-Swedish joint venture of AstraZeneca and Oxford University to be delivered to Macau only in June at the earliest, the health chief said.

The local government has said that people will need to get the second shot four weeks after being given their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccination. The government has also said that most of those who have had the two jabs will develop COVID-19 immunity two weeks after.

Leong also said yesterday that those who do not know how to use the Internet can go to eight premises of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) where staff members will help them make an online appointment to get their COVID-19 jabs.

Leong also pointed out that non-resident workers belonging to one of the three priority groups can get their jabs from today.

According to yesterday’s press conference, Macau has not recorded a new COVID-19 case for two days, while no local case has been confirmed in 316 days.

Macau has recorded 48 COVID-19 cases since January 22 last year, 46 of which have been classified as imported, while two cases have been classified as “connected to imported cases”. The first 46 patients have all been cured and discharged from hospital, and no fatalities have been reported in Macau. The 47th and 48th COVID-19 patients are still undergoing treatment in the isolation ward of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.

Insurance cover for jabs

Meanwhile, Alvis Lo Iek Long, a clinical director of the public hospital, announced during the press conference that the local government has taken out insurance for all those who get COVID-19 jabs in its COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The insurance covers all those aged between 16 and 85, regardless of their health condition, according to Lo.

The insurance scheme provides cover for those who die or become “completely and permanently” physically disabled after suffering an adverse event or a side effect after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Lo said.

According to Lo, the maximum coverage amount is one million patacas for each person. However, those aged 70 or over will only be provided with 50 percent of the maximum coverage amount, i.e. 500,000 patacas.

The insurance scheme provides cover for up to 90 days after a person has had their COVID-19 jabs, Lo said, adding that the Health Bureau will provide medical services free for all those who suffer an adverse event or a side effect after getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The insurance programme will initially be run for a year by Fidelidade, 85 percent of whose equity is held by Shanghai-based Fosun Pharma, which also has a stake in Sinopharm and will distribute Germany’s BioNTech vaccine in Macau.

Alvis Lo Iek Long (right), one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, speaks during yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, as Health Bureau (SSM) Control of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance of Diseases Department Coordinator Leong Iek Hou looks on. Photo: Tony Wong