Coronavirus: Macau may impose quarantine if cases increase in Portugal

The Macau Government admits placing Portugal on the list of countries with citizens subject to quarantine if the pandemic worsens or if there are cases imported into the territory from the country.

The Macau Government said this Thursday that if the number of confirmed cases of covid-19 in Portugal continues to increase, the territory could impose a 14-day quarantine upon entering Macau.

“Currently, the number of cases is not that high,” said Leong Iek Hou, coordinator of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control of Health Services, at the daily press conference of the New Coronavirus Contingency Coordination Center.

However, he stressed, “if there is an increase in confirmed cases in Portugal”, or if there are “imported cases” in Macau from Portugal, the territory may place the country on the list of high epidemic incidence of covid-19.

At the same press conference, the Macau Government said that the danger now centers on the possibility of imported covid-19 cases, mainly from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and European countries, in a territory that has not registered cases for 37 days. .

“We have not ruled out the possibility of imported cases” in Macau, Macau Health Director Lei Chin Ion said at the same press conference the day after WHO declared the covid-19 disease a pandemic .

The official said that Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong have seen rapid growth in cases of covid-19 in recent days and that the former British colony and mainland China have registered an increase in imported cases, “especially people who are returning European countries “.

“There is a slowdown, in general, in the interior of China. But we cannot let our guard down, “he reiterated, adding that Macau” continues to face a serious threat “, despite not having registered cases for more than a month.

For this reason, Lei Chin Ion appealed to the population not to travel and not to leave the territory, only when necessary. Residents must “reduce entry and exit” from the territory, “avoid socializing and wash their hands frequently,” he said.

The Macau Government is considering placing more European countries on the list of high epidemic incidence of covid-19 and thus imposing a 14-day quarantine on those who have been in those countries. Among those possibilities is the case of Denmark, the authorities said.

On Tuesday, the imposition of a 14-day quarantine came into force for those who had been in Germany, Spain, France or Japan in the 14 days prior to entering Macau. This measure has also been in effect for some weeks, for people from South Korea, Italy and Iran. As of this Thursday, anyone who has been in Norway in the 14 days prior to entering the territory will be subject to medical examination.

In the last 24 hours, China has registered 15 new cases of covid-19 infection, the lowest number since it started counting in January. As of midnight on Wednesday (4 pm in Lisbon), the death toll in mainland China, which excludes Macau and Hong Kong, has risen by 11 to 3169. In total, the country totals 80 793 infected.