Another WHO expert, Dr. Cathryn Murphy arrived at Macao today (1 May) to inspect the preventive measures taken by the Macao authorities against SARS and to give advises, the Health Bureau announced.
The bureau mentioned in a press release that Dr. Cathryn Murphy would meet with officials of the Health Bureau tomorrow morning before visiting the isolation Care Unit and Isolated Emergency Room in Conde S. Januario Hospital. In the afternoon, she would visit the Kiang Wu Hospital and meet with the Doctors there.
Dr. Murphy would also meet with the press, according to the press release.
This is the second WHO expert to visit Macao for this purpose after the SARS outbreaks in the neighboruing regions, the first one, Dr. Kouichi Morita, commented after a four-day-visit earlier that measures taken by the Macao Government was effective. Additional measures advises by Dr. Morita, such as screening in emergency room and stronger control at check points was quickly adopted by the Government.
According to the press release, the fever of the 77-year-old cancer patients put under isolation yesterday had come down and X-ray images did not show signs of pneumonia. The bureau further announced that blood test result and clinical manifestation also did not suggest that he was a SARS sufferer.
The other two patients in isolation continued to recover well and the isolation order for those who had been in contact with the saleswoman was lifted today.
Over 42,000 people had gone trough Infrared thermo temperature screening at the four checkpoints in the 24 hours prior to 16:00 today, respectively 31,238 at the Border Gate, 9,179 at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, 769 at the Macau International Airport and 929 at the Lotus Bridge Checkpoint.
During this period, doctors stationed at the checkpoints had answered 12 inquiries and three of which were sent to hospital for further check up. Meanwhile, eight patients were directed to the special emergency room in the Conde S. Januario Hospital, though none of them were sent to the Isolation Care Unit.
