The number of confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 since the continuing Macau outbreak began on 18 June has reached 1,583, with 57 new positive cases detected in the 24 hours to midnight at the end of Monday 11 July.
Of the 57 new cases, 24 were found in the community with six of them close contacts, 14 positive cases in mass testing and key groups and four cases in other groups. The other 33 were found amongst people in quarantine, according to the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center.
As of 8am Tuesday 12 July, a total of 19,585 people have been followed up by the government in their epidemiological investigations. These include 3,022 close contacts, 10,922 “non-core” close contacts, 916 “sub-close” contacts, 255 general contacts and 765 accompanying persons.
Macau is now in a state of lockdown (the government prefers the term “standstill”) where people are forbidden to go out when it is not necessary. The police will call on the public to leave the streets, otherwise they will be prosecuted under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Law. Police say that four people have been prosecuted since Monday, two of whom are Macau residents.
The eighth round of nucleic acid testing (NAT) began today, and 17 samples were found positive in the seventh round of NAT.