Worst Covid-19 outbreak in Macau since the start of the pandemic “It was caused by the importation of products”, defended this Monday the director of Health Services (SSM) of the Chinese special administrative region. Alvis Lo Iek Long did not disclose further details about the origin of the outbreak, which 1,821 people infectedmost asymptomatic cases, and caused six deaths, all elderly with chronic diseases, since June 18.
During a press conference, the director of the SSM admitted that “in the future there may be a new outbreak” that will force the city to re-impose restrictions on mobility.
On June 23, before the start of a partial lockdown that lasted more than two weeks, Macau’s chief executive had said that the outbreak could have been caused by residents who have been quarantined in a hotel or for importing products.
As for the origin of the infections, Ho Iat Seng guaranteed, at the time, that “it is not so likely to be from China”, since it is not a “so common” strain in the country.
On July 2, Macau initially suspended the import of mangoes from Taiwan for a week, after detecting traces of the novel coronavirus on the outside of a package.
In response, the Council of Agriculture, which is part of the Taiwanese government, advocated no scientific evidence that the disease can be transmitted through packaged products.
On July 12, China’s National Health Commission announced that it would stop testing for the presence of Covid-19 in imported products, except frozen.
Studies reveal that viruses have a short survival time on the surface of most objects at room temperature, and therefore “measures need to be updated,” the Commission said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, China has repeatedly suspended imports of products from some countries for associating their frozen products with outbreaks of Covid-19 in Chinese cities.
Products from Brazil, Argentina and Ecuadoramong other countries, they were identified as responsible for positive cases in the last two years, and the respective exporters were sanctioned, within the framework of the strict “zero cases” policy of Covid-19 implemented by the Chinese authorities.
Macao announced the lifting of the anti-covid-19 restrictions that determined the closure of commercial establishments, starting this Tuesday, but maintains the mandatory use of a mask on the street and requires a negative test at the entrance of spaces such as bars and restaurants.
Macau lifts restrictions, maintains masks and begins requiring Covid-19 tests
Also on Tuesday, public services and entities and local banks resume normal operationwith all branches open.
The population will be able to exercise outdoors again without a mask, Leong Iek Hou, from the Contingency Coordination Center for the New Type of Coronavirus, confirmed at a press conference.
Source: Observadora
