News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate (3.8%) and the underemployment rate (1.8%) for February-April this year held stable from the previous period (January-March), but up by 0.9 and 0.2 percentage point year-on-year. Total labour force was 333,000 in February-April; the labour force participation rate was 72.6%, up by 0.2 percentage point over the previous period, but down by 0.3 percentage point year-on-year. The employed population stayed at around 320,000, with increase in the number of persons working in the Construction and Hotel sectors, but decrease in that working in the Manufacture of Wearing Apparel. Number of the unemployed was 13,000, of which 9.3% (1,200) were fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, down by 1.2 percentage points over the preceding period.
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An American who had taken the same flight with Hong Kong’s sixth confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) victim was kept under medical observation in Macao, the Health Bureau announced today. The man, who had sat close to the patient on flight UA869 from San Francisco to Hong Kong, was in Macao. After receiving reports from Hong Kong’s health authorities, the Health Bureau located the man and asked him to be tested for the virus. He was tested negative but was required to be placed under medical observation until 29 May. The Bureau stressed that he showed no symptoms of illness and was not a patient. Keeping him under medical observation was merely a means to safeguard his health and the public’s and the Bureau expressed gratitude for his co-operation. Meanwhile, the Macao woman under medical observation was in a healthy condition. Her medical observation period would end on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 75 children and 19 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 118,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 109 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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A Macao woman who had taken the same flight with Taiwan’s third confirmed Influenza A (H1N1) victim was kept in medical observation in Macao after tested negative for the virus, the Health Bureau announced today. According to the information provided by Chinese Taiwan’s health authorities, the middle-aged Macao woman sat close to the patient on BR017 of Eva Air, a flight departed from San Francisco on 20 May for Taipei. The woman took a transit flight to Macao on 21 May. The Health Bureau received a report from Chinese Taiwan’s health authorities yesterday evening and asked her to take a test at hospital, which ruled her out of contracting the virus. Since she was classified as close contact with Taiwan’s third confirmed case, she was required to be kept under medical observation until 28 May in Hac-Sa Youth Hostel, a quarantine site on Coloane. The Health Bureau stressed that she showed no symptoms of illness and was not a patient. Keeping her under medical observation was merely a means to safeguard her health and the public’s. The medical observation period for five Filipinos had completed this morning and they left Macao afterwards. They were tested negative for the virus and showed no symptoms of illness. They were under medical observation because they were on the same flight with Hong Kong’s third confirmed case. The Health Bureau expressed gratitude for their co-operation. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 53 children and 45 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 132,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 78 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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A 30-year-old Macao woman with fever returning from Japan was tested negative for Influenza A (H1N1) virus today. She was found to have fever and respiratory illness symptoms by the medical team at the airport. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 74 children and 44 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 134,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 145 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of Influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao. Two people were under medical observation currently.
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Three Macao residents, who returned from the United States of American and Japan and had fever and respiratory illness symptoms, were tested negative for Influenza A (H1N1) virus. They were a 24-year-old woman, a 36-year-old man and a five-year-old boy. The Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 75 children and 19 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 118,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 109 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao. At present there are two people under medical observation.
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Macao joined China’s delegation in the 62nd World Health Assembly, which opened in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday. During the Assembly, international health experts discussed how to prevent influenza pandemic and addressed other global health issues. The latest information presented in the Assembly showed that the Influenza A (H1N1) virus was relatively mild considering its limited mutation capability and similar fatality rate when compared with seasonal influenza, Dr Chan Wai Sin, who led Macao’s delegation, said at a press conference in Macao today. Dr Chan, who is also the Deputy Director of the Health Bureau, also said Tamiflu could effectively prevent the new virus. Another Deputy Director of the Bureau, Dr Cheang Seng Ip, said the five Filipinos under medical observation remained healthy and maintained a stable mood. If no symptoms of illness were developed within the quarantine period, they would be able to leave tomorrow. Medical observation was a useful way to prevent infectious diseases from spreading and the Bureau extended gratitude for their co-operation. The Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 72 children and 29 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 121,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 66 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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Seven junior high school students from the same class and suffering from respiratory illness were tested negative for Influenza A (H1N1) virus, the Health Bureau announced today. The Bureau received the group infection report yesterday, which stated that the seven students from Form 2C of Escola Secundária Luso-Chinesa Luís Gonzaga Gomes had developed fever, sore throat and cough. They were later tested negative for Influenza A (H1N1) virus. None of them had left Macao recently. The Bureau had instructed the school to always keep its areas clean, sterilise its facilities, maintain good ventilation in all classrooms and strictly prohibit sick students from attending class. Meanwhile, the Tertiary Education Services Office urged Macao students studying abroad to stay alert to the spread of the virus. When they feel sick, they should not take any vehicles for long distance travel and should see a local doctor immediately. If they feel sick when they arrive in Macao, they should report to the medical teams at the terminal. If they feel sick in the two weeks after returning to Macao, they should wear a facemask and see a doctor at the hospital and report their activities abroad. The Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 56 children and 49 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 131,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 191 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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A number of government departments and institutions conducted an exercise at Macau International Airport today to enhance their responsiveness to Influenza A (H1N1) cases. The exercise, conducted between 4:30 a.m. and about 6:00 a.m. simulated a suspected case on an aircraft, was aimed at enhancing the capability of the participants in dealing with such cases and lowering the probability of transmission of the disease by air transport. The exercise, co-ordinated by the Health Bureau, involved the participation of Unitary Police Service, Macao Customs Service, Public Security Police Force, Judiciary Police, Fire Services Bureau, Civil Aviation Authority, CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd., ADA-Administration of Airports, Ltd., Macau Security Company Ltd., Air Macau Company Ltd. and Menzies Macau Airport Services, etc. Meanwhile, Macao Prison announced a host of measures to prevent the disease. All visitors would be required to go through temperature checks before entry and those who enter the living areas of the prisoners or meet them should wear a facemask. Macao Prison would also arrange training sessions for its staff on using protective gear, hold talks for prisoners on disease prevention and prepare quarantine areas for patients. The Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 83 children and 41 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 130,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 78 enquiries To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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Macau Government Tourist Office organized a Product Update & Networking Seminar for the Hong Kong M.I.C.E. Industry today at The Mira Hotel Hong Kong. 70 guests from Hong Kong and 32 Macau trade partners participated in the seminar and networked with each other on potential cooperation opportunities. The seminar started with a presentation from MGTO on the general picture of Macau tourism and Why Macau is attractive as a M.I.C.E. destination, then followed by five Macau trade partners giving updates on their new venues and products. The presentation session ended with a briefing on the highly anticipated “Strategic MICE Market Stimulation Program” by the Macau Business Tourism Centre. Corporate travel agents, M.I.C.E. planners and corporate representatives from Hong Kong showed high interest in this program which will benefit potential business travelers to Macau. This is the third time since last year that MGTO hosts a Product Update & Networking Seminar for different sectors of the M.I.C.E. Industry in Hong Kong. The event is proved to serve as a successful platform of networking and business exchange for the industry in Hong Kong and Macau. With the introduction of “Strategic MICE Market Stimulation Program” to the Hong Kong business travel market, it is anticipated that more M.I.C.E. groups from Hong Kong and the region will be attracted to create more business for the Macau industry.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of visitor and non-resident arrivals was 2,500,042 in April 2009. Visitor arrivals totalled 1,867,204, down by 3.5% from April 2008. Analysed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China were 897,335 (48.1% of total visitor arrivals), a year-on-year decrease of 13.5%, with 342,458 travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, down significantly by 42.7% from April 2008 (597,647). Visitors from Taiwan, China (116,335) and Malaysia (31,968) dropped by 6.6% and 24.1% respectively. In light of the Easter holidays, visitors from Hong Kong (612,480) rose by 16.4%, those from Thailand (27,457), the Philippines (26,905) and Singapore (22,994) also increased by 5.6%, 4.5% and 23.3% respectively. Same-day visitors (978,392) accounted for 52.4% of the total visitor arrivals, with 465,881 coming from Mainland China. The cumulative visitor arrivals totalled 7,321,374 in the first four months of 2009, down by 8.1% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (3,655,645) and Taiwan, China (430,195) decreased by 14.0% and 4.2%, while those from Hong Kong (2,345,206), Japan (123,935) and Thailand (103,550) rose by 2.5%, 13.8% and 28.2% respectively. Same-day visitors accounted for 53.4% of the total visitor arrivals, at 3,908,418. Analysed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 3,058,305 in the first four months of 2009, up by 2.3% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour registered a decrease of 23.1% to 2,066,601, but those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa surged by 479.9% to 886,324. Visitor arrivals by land dropped by 15.5% year-on-year to 3,740,943 in the first four months of 2009; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 3,471,003 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (75.6%) and Hong Kong (15.9%). Visitor arrivals by air went down by 5.9% year-on-year to 522,126 in the first four months of 2009. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport decreased by 5.7% to 513,487, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (38.7%), Mainland China (23.3%), Thailand (8.5%) and Malaysia (8.2%).
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