Addressing yesterday’s press conference about Macau’s novel coronavirus situation, Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Kong Chi Meng announced that higher education students, teachers and all other staff members, as well as non-tertiary (recurrent, special, pre-primary, primary and secondary) education teachers and all other staff members, who have not been inoculated against the novel coronavirus will be required be tested for COVID-19 every seven days from October 25.

Kong said that his bureau has made the decision after referencing new guidelines published by the Health Bureau (SSM) on September 13 on COVID-19 vaccinations and nucleic acid testing (NAT) for “all staff members” in the city, and then consulting the city’s education sector.

According to the new guidelines published by the Health Bureau on September 13, almost the entire working population in the city, regardless of whether working in the public or the private sectors, will have to be tested for COVID-19 once every week, or even more frequently, if they have not been inoculated against the novel coronavirus.

All the respective public or private entities will have to draw up their own specific rules that enable them to implement the new jab-or-test measure that is required by the “principled” guidelines published by the Health Bureau on September 13.

Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Kong Chi Meng addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. Photo: GCS

Jab-or-test measure 

The new jab-or-test measure was initially slated to start for public servants on Monday this week but was then suspended as Macau’s second round of mass NAT drive was then being carried out. The new jab-or-test measure will now start on Monday next week, according to which all public servants must either display a COVID-19 vaccination record, or present an NAT certificate confirming that they have tested negative for the novel coronavirus within the past seven days, when entering their respective workplaces.

During yesterday’s press conference, Kong noted that schools are the main places for learning and cluster activities for students. Taking into account the current “dynamic” developments in Macau’s COVID-19 epidemic situation, and to ensure campus safety and the health of teachers and students, Kong said that his bureau is strongly urging higher education students, teachers and all other staff members, as well as non-tertiary education teachers and all other staff members, to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Kong also underlined that his bureau will continue its outreach COVID-19 vaccination programme for local schools in collaboration with the Health Bureau, which started last month.

Kong also reaffirmed that that his bureau is still assessing when classes in schools and kindergartens and in-class teaching in higher education institutions can resume.

Kong said that according to the new jab-or-test measure for the education sector, which will start on October 25, higher education students, teachers and all other staff members, as well as non-tertiary education teachers and all other staff members, must either display a vaccination record confirming that they have received at least one COVID-19 jab, or present an NAT certificate confirming a negative COVID-19 result valid for seven days.

Kong also said that the COVID-19 vaccination rate among teachers in some of local schools has reached between 80 percent and 90 percent. So far around 6,000 students have received their COVID-19 jabs through the government’s outreach inoculation programme for local schools, Kong said.

One refuses to be tested for COVID-19 after being located by police

Meanwhile, Tai Wa Hou, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, said during yesterday’s press conference that a person who failed to undergo a COVID-19 test during this week’s three-day mass nucleic acid testing (NAT) drive has continued to refuse to be tested for the novel coronavirus after being located by the police yesterday.

Tai did not reveal the recusant’s gender, age, resident status and nationality.

Tai said that a total of 10 people in Macau who had failed to undergo a nucleic acid test during this week’s citywide testing programme had continued to refuse to be tested for COVID-19 previously after repeatedly being asked by the Health Bureau to get tested. The police managed to locate the 10 people yesterday, Tai said, adding that nine of them had agreed to get tested after being located by the police, but one had continued to refuse to be tested for COVID-19 despite repeated explanations and persuasive attempts by the police as of yesterday afternoon.

There were no updates about the lone recusant.

According to Tai, the police took the nine people to the Taipa Ferry Terminal testing station for a COVID-19 test yesterday.