Macau confirms second patient infected with Chinese coronavirus
- Casino hub’s second patient, a 66-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan at 4pm on Wednesday, was sent to Conde S. Januário Hospital upon being tested positive
- Macau leader Ho Iat-seng asks the public not to go out unless really necessary, while tourism board cancels all Lunar New Year celebrations
Macau has confirmed its second case of the Chinese coronavirus infection, as its tourism board cancelled all Lunar New Year celebrations, including a firework show and a parade.
The city’s Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng on Thursday afternoon announced that preventive measures would be stepped up along its border with Zhuhai, the adjacent mainland city, and all travellers arriving or leaving the casino hub would be screened for body temperatures.
He feared the outbreak might get more serious after the Lunar New Year and said they had not ruled out closing all casinos if the situation got worse.
“We appeal to the public not to go out unless it’s absolutely necessary. That’s the best prevention,” Ho said. “We had no choice but to cancel the new year celebrations even when everything was ready.”
The Macau government also rolled out a scheme to give residents and workers in the casino hub 10 face masks every 10 days for 8 patacas (US$1), assuring the public that 20 million masks were on their way to the city.
