Macau’s calm, organised handling of coronavirus crisis puts Hong Kong panic in perspective
- Macau has been better than Hong Kong at tackling the outbreak of the deadly virus, according to observers and experts
- A controlled distribution of face masks to residents is among the measures it has been lauded for taking, while desperate Hongkongers queue for hours
Most have waited in an orderly manner to get masks at local pharmacies. Unlike Hong Kong, the Macau government ordered 20 million masks after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the city on January 22. Each resident can buy a maximum of 10 surgical masks every 10 days for only 8 patacas (US$1) at designated pharmacies as long as they present their Macau identity card.
Experts say this is one example of how Macau has been able to deal with the public health crisis much more smoothly than Hong Kong. They attribute the difference to a faster and better coordinated response by the Macau government, the introduction of firmer measures to stop the flow of people from mainland China, and the comprehensive collection and effective usage of big data – while the smaller size of the former Portuguese colony has also helped.
“To a very large extent Macau is handling this problem much better than Hong Kong is,” said social affairs commentator Larry So Man-yum, who highlighted the distribution of masks as one of the most important measures taken by the Macau government so far.
“Most people would go out and rush and buy all masks, so controlling the distribution and making sure that the people from Macau will have 10 masks for 10 days, and that they can get it almost immediately, this is a very positive move,” So said. “Everybody knows it won’t be enough eventually, but it provides some peace of mind. The psychological stability effect for the community is important, so people don’t panic.”
