The Macau government has taken arguably its largest step yet towards living with COVID-19 after announcing that from this coming Wednesday 14 December, individuals who are infected with the virus will be permitted to isolate at home.
Officials from the Health Bureau held a press conference on Saturday to introduce the city’s latest pandemic prevention policy, informing that Macau will soon enter a “transitional phase” that will also remove the need for people to scan QR codes when entering most venues from Monday 12 December.
Instead, citizens will only be required to show their Health Code when entering government departments, hospitals, social services and non-higher education schools.
Health Bureau Director Alvis Lo said that from Wednesday 14 December, Macau will enter the second period of pandemic prevention whereby people who test positive can isolate at home. In order to assist in this transition, the government will launch an electronic assessment system which people can use to assess their status.
“The electronic assessment system will be based on factors such as whether the infected person has been vaccinated, their symptoms and any underlying [health issues] they have,” Lo said.
The assessment status will be divided into four levels – green being the lowest under which people can isolate at home, yellow requiring an appointment at a community clinic, orange requiring an assessment at a community treatment center, and red requiring an ambulance for hospital treatment.
While positive cases and close contacts will be required to isolate at home, Lo explained that they will be permitted to go out for necessities but must follow some basic guidelines such as wearing a face mask and refraining from eating at the same table as others in restaurants.
“If many people in Macau are infected, and they are not allowed to go out, it will have a great effect on the business and commercial sector, so the government will introduce guidelines for infected people or close contacts to go out,” Lo said.
He also urged the public not to worry about contracting COVID, citing global evidence that most Omicron cases are either asymptomatic or suffer only mild symptoms.
Asked what this dramatic shift in approach means for Macau’s border control policy moving forward, Lo said, “If Macau adapts to coexist with the virus, we will enter the third stage and all social operations will be opened normally. Right now Macau is about to enter the second stage.”
The Macau government’s pandemic prevention policy follows that of the mainland, which has also recently announced a relaxation of its pandemic prevention policy even as case numbers across the country soar.
