Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng today (Monday) reiterated that the local government remains committed to the prevention and control of Covid-19 “in the face of the complexity and uncertainty of the evolution” of the pandemic, “without ever letting its guard down”.
Ho Iat Seng made the comments during his speech for the traditional spring festival reception organised by the Liaison Office of China’s central government in the Macau SAR.
This year’s event was attended by significantly fewer guests but was streamed online.
“In view of the complexity and uncertainty of the evolution of the global pandemic, the MSAR government will remain committed to the strategy of ‘preventing imported cases and avoiding internal resurgence’, without ever lowering its guard,” Ho said.
The government’s objective is the “recovery of socio-economic development” in the territory, Ho stressed, recalling the pandemic’s “serious impact on the various sectors of activity in Macau.” This had “deeply affected the lives of residents,” he said.
“We have managed to ensure Macau’s safety, protect the health and lives of the residents and achieve positive results, which are not easy to achieve, in combating the pandemic,” he added, in a nod to the fact that there are currently no active coronavirus cases in the region.
According to Ho, “the government has implemented a series of effective measures to stabilise the economy and guarantee employment and the quality of life of the population, and Macau has made stable socio-economic conditions and further progress in all areas.”
He said that “the new year brings new hope” – a reference to the Lunar New Year, which starts on 12 February.
“The Year of the Ox marks the beginning of the fourteenth National Five Year Plan, and the country’s entry into a new phase of development will undoubtedly bring greater development opportunities for Macau,” Ho said, highlighting the prospect of the territory benefitting from China’s developing while promoting the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ in Macau.
Macao was one of the first territories in the world to be hit by the pandemic but has recorded a total of just 46 cases.
