A Macao woman who had taken the same flight with Taiwan’s third confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) victim was kept in medical observation in Macao after tested negative for the virus, the Health Bureau announced today.

According to the information provided by Chinese Taiwan’s health authorities, the middle-aged Macao woman sat close to the patient on BR017 of Eva Air, a flight departed from San Francisco on 20 May for Taipei. The woman took a transit flight to Macao on 21 May.

The Health Bureau received a report from Chinese Taiwan’s health authorities yesterday evening and asked her to take a test at hospital, which ruled her out of contracting the virus.

Since she was classified as close contact with Taiwan’s third confirmed case, she was required to be kept under medical observation until 28 May in Hac-Sa Youth Hostel, a quarantine site on Coloane.

The Health Bureau stressed that she showed no symptoms of illness and was not a patient. Keeping her under medical observation was merely a means to safeguard her health and the public’s.

The medical observation period for five Filipinos had completed this morning and they left Macao afterwards. They were tested negative for the virus and showed no symptoms of illness.

They were under medical observation because they were on the same flight with Hong Kong’s third confirmed case.

The Health Bureau expressed gratitude for their co-operation.

Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 53 children and 45 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 132,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 78 enquiries

To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.