MANILA, Philippines — Macau recorded its 15th COVID-19 case in a Filipino worker who returned to the region after a vacation in the Philippines.
Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre said the case involves a 31-year-old Filipino male worker at a restaurant in a casino.
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The worker was in the Philippines from January 27 to March 15 and arrived in Macau on March 16.
He went to the hospital a day later, March 17, complaining of toothache, fever and a rash.
He was then categorized as “a person with moderate risk of COVID-19 infection” and underwent a diagnosis test for the novel coronavirus disease, the center said in a statement posted on the government website.
On the afternoon of March 18, the results showed the male worker is positive for infection.
He is currently in isolation at Conde S. Januario Hospital.
The government also directed disinfection of the patient’s details. “Further details of the 15th patient’s travel history, and of those people that might be identified as having had close contact with him since his arrival in Macao, will be disclosed in a timely manner,” it added.
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Macau closes borders to foreign workers
Following the confirmation of its 15th COVID-19 case, Macau also said it is prohibiting “non-resident workers from overseas countries” from entering the region starting midnight of March 19.
“The latest measure seeks to prevent further infection being imported to Macau and to protect the health of the Macau public,” the statement on the government portal read.
Earlier on Wednesday, March 18, Macau also recorded two other COVID-19 cases.
The 14th case involves 42-year-old female Indonesian, a relative of a non-worker registered with the Macao authorities. The 13th patient is a 20-year-old female resident of Macau who has been studying in the United Kingdom.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has allowed OFWs and balikbayans to leave the country amid the month-long enhanced quarantine period in Luzon.
The Philippines recorded 202 COVID-19 infections in the country and 17 fatalities, as of March 18. Latest data from the Department of Health also showed that at least 121 overseas Filipinos have been infected by the virus. — Kristine Joy Patag