Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Local news station TDM said that a coronavirus outbreak on the property caused authorities to lock down ...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Local news station TDM said that a coronavirus outbreak on the property caused authorities to lock down a hotel and casino resort in Macau on Tuesday, with 700 people inside. Macau is the biggest gambling hub in the world.
Dozens of locally spread coronavirus cases were found over the weekend, which is why the Chinese special administrative region is locking down all of its more than 600,000 people for two days.
The broadcaster and industry magazines got footage of police officers in protective gear sealing the complex so that no one could get in or out. The COVID-19 tests for the hundreds of people inside were also being made by government workers.
Fortuna is an old, gaudy building on Macau's main peninsula. It is a satellite casino run by SJM Holdings, which was founded by the former boss of Macau, Stanley Ho.
Its casino was run by a local businessman named Sio Tak Hong. Last year, he was arrested on charges of corruption and laundering money.
When asked for a comment, neither the hotel nor the government responded right away.
The last time Macau had a coronavirus outbreak was in October of last year, and there were no large-scale quarantines or lockdowns at that time. Since the weekend, there have been dozens of new cases, but this is still a far cry from places like nearby Hong Kong, where there are now more than 1,000 new cases every day.
The former Portuguese colony that is now ruled by China follows China's "zero COVID" policy, which aims to stop all outbreaks of the virus at almost any cost. This goes against the global trend of trying to live with the virus.
Most residents have been told to stay home, dine-in restaurants are closed, and border restrictions have been tightened. Analysts predict that casino sales will be close to zero for at least a week and probably for the next few weeks as well.
During the outbreak in Hong Kong this year, there were more than a million confirmed cases of infection and more than 9,000 deaths, which overwhelmed hospitals and other public services. Officials there say they don't think they will tighten restrictions any more because the need for medical services hasn't grown.
Macau has only one public hospital, and its services are already being used up every day. The territory's quick plan to test everyone comes as it keeps its border with mainland China open. Many of its residents live and work in the Chinese city Zhuhai, which is right next door.
