Macau On Alert Over Family Covid Cluster

Macau authorities are on alert after a couple who recently returned from Zhuhai and their two children tested positive for Covid-19.

The SAR said it received notification from Zhuhai authorities on Tuesday that samples they collected from two Macau residents the day before had come back positive.

Subsequent tests also found the couple's son and daughter to be infected.

Macau health officials say all four are infected with the more infectious Delta variant.

Hong Kong authorities announced late on Tuesday that from August 4, anyone who’s been in Macau in the past 14 days cannot return to the city under the Return2hk scheme, which allows residents quarantine-free entry upon returning to the territory if they test negative for the virus.

Macau officials said the 51-year-old father also recently travelled to Zhongshan, while the daughter was in Xi'an from July 19 to 24.

The cases prompted local authorities to put the city under a state of "immediate prevention" from 3.30pm on Tuesday, and anyone who wishes to leave the territory must show a negative test result less than 24 hours old.

Officials said the risk of a local outbreak now is "extremely high".

Citizens were urged to avoid going to crowded places, and not to leave the city unless it was necessary.

Macau has been largely successful in preventing the spread of Covid-19 and has only been recording sporadic infections.

The latest development came as the mainland raced to contain its worst coronavirus outbreak in months.

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