The mainland updated its mask policy. Will Macao?
As respiratory illness spreads in mainland China, officials are taking action. But Macao’s government says it’s already ahead of the game.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong has said there is currently no need for the SAR to change guidelines around mask-wearing – even though they’ve been ramped up in mainland China, the Macau Daily Times reports.
On Saturday, mainland authorities mandated that people with respiratory symptoms and those in certain jobs wear medical grade masks. Affected workplaces include medical and care facilities, as well as so-called “key venues” where catering and cleaning staff must now don effective masks.
According to Ieong, the mainland’s new guidelines align with Macao’s existing ones. The SAR recently reinstated a requirement that high-grade masks be worn by anyone in nursing homes, rehabilitation centres and drug rehab facilities, to minimise infection risks during the winter season.
[See more: Taiwan extends voluntary health testing for cross-strait visitors]
Ieong said that while some mainland cities were conducting rapid viral tests on travellers, this was not necessary for Macao.
She said she was confident the city had robust measures against flu, mycoplasma pneumoniae (a bacterial disease currently spreading in the mainland) and Covid-19. Even if flu cases increased, the situation would remain manageable, Ieong noted.
However, she urged anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms to avoid public places and to mask up.
Ieong also reiterated that the Health Bureau constantly monitored disease data and that, if the number of patients or available beds exceed a critical threshold, more clinicians would be deployed.
