MACAO CITY: Except for those providing emergency or essential services, public sectors across Macao will be closed on Monday and Tuesday after 31 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases were reported amid an ongoing spike.

According to the Macao Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre, the patients were 21 females and 10 males ranging in age from eight months to 89 years.  It was also stated that eight of them had developed symptoms, while the remaining 23 were asymptomatic.

The Macao government had already closed public venues such as schools, parks, museums, and sports facilities on Sunday in an effort to reduce crowding.  It urged all residents to stay at home, while all businesses were asked to remain closed until further notice, with the exception of supermarkets and grocery stores, and all restaurants suspended dine-in services. However, the source of the infections is still unknown.

Those leaving Macao for Zhuhai, in China's Guangdong province, must present negative nucleic acid test results within 24 hours, instead of the previous seven days.

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