The Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre received a report from Zhuhai health authorities this morning (26 October) that a tube of 10-in-1 mixed sample, involving 8 people in Macao, has been tested positive. The Response and Coordination Centre immediately activated the emergency response mechanism and arranged for the 8 people concerned to undergo individual testing. Among them, a 66-year-old female Macao resident was found positive for COVID-19. The place where she lives – Edf. Weng Heng, No. 7 & 8 Rua Um do Bairro da Concórdia – has been classified as red-coded zone. For this reason, a nucleic acid testing drive will be launched at 16:00 on 26 October for the area which the positive case frequent, so as to identify any potential infected persons who may be lurking in the local community. Nucleic acid testing must be done once daily on 26, 27 and 28 October for individuals in the following key area:

Target groups of the present Key Area NAT drive include:

1. People who live or work in the area surrounded by Avenida do Conselheiro Borja, Rua Norte do Patane, Rua Sul do Patane, Avenida do Almirante Lacerda and Avenida do General Castelo Branco;
2. People who have stayed in the above area for more than half an hour on or after 24 October.
3. Considering the higher infection risk in the said areas, there will be no exemption for the test.

Individuals living in the above key area will receive text messages reminding them to make an appointment for the nucleic acid test. If the NAT is not performed as required, the health code will be changed to a yellow code on the next day. The above target individuals may schedule for the NAT via this link: https://eservice.ssm.gov.mo/allpeoplernatestbook (result cannot be used for border crossing purpose). For self-paid NAT stations (appointment required), the link for booking is: https://eservice.ssm.gov.mo/rnatestbook (paper certificates can be provided, result will be uploaded to the Macao Health Code and can be used for border crossing purpose).

To cooperate with this NAT drive, all operating sampling stations will continue to provide testing services. Besides, the following six stations will extend their service hours to 24:00 on 26 October, and then open from 09:00 to 24:00 on 27 and 28 October: Qingmao Port, Kon Chi Medical Service Centre, Leisure Area in Baía Norte do Fai Chi Kei, Trust Leisure Garden/Terminal, Macau Medical and Health Federation at Edifício do Bairro da Ilha Verde, and the former Macau Yat Yuen Canidrome.

Before heading to the NAT station for sampling, members of the public must first perform a rapid antigen self-test (RAT) and declare the result via the Macao Health Code. Only those who have a negative RAT result can be sampled at the NAT stations. If the RAT result is positive, regardless of whether having fever, respiratory symptoms or other discomfort, an ambulance should be called (Tel: 119, 120 or 2857 2222). The declarant and the co-living individuals must stay home and wait patiently for being transferred to the quarantine site by the designated ambulance. Relevant nucleic acid testing will be arranged for all of them by the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Response and Coordination Centre will distribute 5 rapid antigen tests to each individual in the above target groups tomorrow (27 October).

Failure to declare the correct and up-to-date address in the Macao Health Code may result in the declarant being classified as an individual in the lockdown or precautionary zone, and thus assigned with a health code locked in red or yellow colour. To avoid this from happening, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre urges citizens to review the “residential address” in their Macao Health Code as soon as possible. If the declared address is incorrect, or you are not sure whether the address registered with the Identification Services Bureau is up-to-date, please immediately fill in the address information again in the Macao Health Code.