The Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday pledged to study whether the government will continue the mandatory wearing of KN95 facemasks, with the city’s current COVID-19 outbreak continuing to subside.

Lei Wai Seng, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, made the remarks during yesterday evening’s daily press conference about the viral menace.

The current mandatory requirement for all adults to wear a KN95 facemask when out and about has been in force since July 11.

The Health Bureau has said that a KN95 facemask can provide an 83 percent rate of protection against COVID-19 infection, higher than the 66 percent provided by a surgical mask. However, the government does not recommend children use a KN95 facemask as it is less breathable than a surgical mask.

The current COVID-19 outbreak was detected on June 18. The government has been handing out free KN95 facemasks at citywide nucleic acid test (NAT) stations since late last month.

The government urged people early this month to always wear a KN95 facemask when going out or in their workplaces. The government has underlined that wearing a KN95 facemask is needed due to the fact that the Omicron subvariant BA.5.1 that has hit Macau is very contagious.

The wearing of KN95 facemasks became mandatory on July 11 when the government imposed “relatively static” restrictions on people’s movements and operations of businesses, which eventually lasted 12 days through Friday last week. However, the mandatory wearing of KN95 facemasks has remained in force since the ongoing seven-day COVID-19-control consolidation period commenced on Saturday.

During the then 12-day period that enabled Macau to maintain a state of “relatively static” movement of people, all businesses were ordered to close except those essential for maintaining civil society’s normal functioning or residents’ daily lives. During the ongoing seven-day period aiming to consolidate Macau’s achievements in its battle against the current COVID-19 outbreak, various non-essential businesses have been allowed to resume operations in a limited way provided that they comply with the government’s special COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Lei made the remarks about the possibility of the government halting the mandatory wearing of KN95 facemasks during yesterday’s press conference when replying to a question from a reporter who said that wearing a KN95 facemask when out and about during the current extremely hot weather makes people feel even more uncomfortable.

Lei said that with the COVID-19 outbreak abating, the Health Bureau will closely monitor and assess whether hidden transmission chains have been cleared in the community, while it will also study whether there is still a need for people to wear a KN95 facemask. But Lei was quick to reaffirm that wearing a KN95 facemask can more effectively prevent COVID-19 infection compared to a surgical mask.

Lei urged people to continue wearing their KN95 facemask properly during the ongoing consolidation period.

The doctor also urged those who work outdoors or engage in other outdoor activities to drink plenty of water regularly during this week’s extremely hot weather with the aim of preventing heatstroke. He also said that as of yesterday afternoon no heatstroke cases had been reported at the city’s hospitals, which, he said, indicates that residents have a strong awareness of protecting themselves against heatstroke.

Tally reaches 1,814, no community cases detected

The latest tally of Macau’s current COVID-19 outbreak has increased by just four to 1,814, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre statement yesterday morning. The four new locally transmitted cases were detected between 00:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, raising the outbreak tally from 1,810 as of Saturday night to 1,814 as of Sunday night.

Of the four new local cases reported on Sunday, none were detected in the community. All four cases were detected in locked-down (red-code zone) buildings and medical observation quarantine hotels, the statement said.

It was the second consecutive days that no community cases were detected.

Key areas

Meanwhile, the government has classified a high-risk key area that is subject to a mandatory daily nucleic acid test for three days from Sunday to today. The mandatory tests cover those who live, work or engage in other activities in the area in the vicinity of the Barrier Gate checkpoint and Iao Hon Municipal Market. Their mandatory tests were announced during Saturday’s COVID-19 press conference.

Leong announced during yesterday’s press conference that the government has additionally classified two high-risk key areas, which are nevertheless only subject to a one-off mandatory nucleic acid test. The one-off mandatory tests, which are carried out from today to tomorrow, cover those who live or work in the area in the vicinity of Areia Preta Park, or the area in the vicinity of Estrada Marginal do Hipódromo and Avenida de Venceslau de Morais, according to Leong.

Details about the two new key areas in English can be checked at: https://www.gov.mo/en/news/277517/.

According to Leong, the Health Bureau will send an SMS to those living in the two areas telling them to undergo their nucleic acid tests, based on home address information reported on the Macau Health Code.

Those failing to undergo a test will have their Macau Health Code colour turn yellow the next day. Those whose health code colour has become yellow will have it return to green after undergoing a test. If they still do not undergo a test, their health code colour will even turn red the day after.

Leong also said that those who have stayed in either of the two areas for more than half an hour on or after Friday last week (July 22) are also strongly advised to undergo the one-off nucleic acid test.

Leong also said that the government expects the tests in the two areas to cover around 30,000 people.

Meanwhile, Leong also said that while Macau has had no COVID-19 community cases for two days in a row, the government will need to continue carefully monitoring the city’s COVID-19 situation to assess whether an outbreak might have occurred again. She said the fact that there have been no community cases for one or two days doesn’t mean that the city is not running the risk of the occurrence of COVID-19 community transmissions.

Lei Wai Seng, a clinical director of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre, addresses yesterday’s press conference about the city’s current COVID-19 outbreak. Photo: GCS

This photo taken yesterday shows a KN95 facemask. Photo: Rui Pastorin