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Letters | China virus: Macau showing the way with swift action and a healthy change
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Soon after the Macau confirmed its first case of coronavirus, the local government initiated an effective policy to prevent people from hoarding surgical face masks, by announcing a rationing system in which anyone with a Macau identity card could buy a maximum 10 surgical masks at cost price every 10 days at designated pharmacies.
Not only does the policy guarantee that residents and workers from abroad would have enough protective masks, it also prevents opportunists, including parallel traders from the mainland, from buying large quantities of masks to sell on.
After a second case of coronavirus in the city was confirmed, the government took decisive action, cancelling all annual Lunar New Year celebrations, including the fireworks display near the sea and a parade past the old Portuguese government buildings, to limit human-to human transmission of the disease in crowded areas.
The two policies were implemented in a very short time, making it clear that the new government is being much more proactive than its predecessors in times of emergency.
Rather than favour the vested interests, such as the gaming industry, hotels and retailers who stand to rake in the revenue during the Lunar New Year week, the government at this critical moment has chosen to prioritise public health.
On January 24, Macau’s Education Bureau announced that all schools, except tertiary institutions, will close until at February 10.
We should give the administration credit for their humane and constructive measures.
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