Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - As COVID infections decline, Macau will reopen its casinos on Saturday - source According to a source wit...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - As COVID infections decline, Macau will reopen its casinos on Saturday - source
According to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation, Macau's casinos will return on Saturday as officials work to relax some strict measures that shut down the world's largest gaming destination for 12 days to contain its worst COVID-19 outbreak.
The government declared on Wednesday that some crucial establishments and enterprises would be able to reopen on July 23 but did not expressly mention casinos.
The majority of the population in the territory administered by China is employed directly or indirectly by the gaming resorts, so the government has sought to maintain casinos' operations to protect employment and livelihoods.
The partial reopening will take place gradually over the course of two weeks, with movie theatres, health and fitness centres, and salons remaining closed. Additionally, the more than 600,000 inhabitants of the city will undergo additional widespread coronavirus testing.
Apart from individuals who have to leave for "work, shopping, or other essential reasons," residents are still expected to stay inside.
With only 10 cases recorded on Tuesday, infection rates had decreased over the preceding week.
On July 11, Macau closed all of its casinos for the first time in more than two years.
Since mid-June, the former Portuguese colony has seen a total of 1,800 COVID-19 infections. This is the first instance of the quickly spreading Omicron variety that Macau has had to deal with.
More than 90% of Macau people have received the full COVID-19 vaccination, but the government has strictly adhered to China's zero COVID mandate, which aims to stop any outbreaks at practically any cost, in contrast to the rest of the globe, which is already infected with the virus.
Although casinos will reopen, there won't likely be any activity for a few weeks, according to executives and analysts, as many coronavirus regulations are expected to remain in place.
The industry that earned $36 billion in revenue in 2019, the final year before COVID limits hit the sector, is being absorbed by Macau's casinos as they get ready to submit applications for new licences by the end of the month.
