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Macau to shut casinos for first time in two years as China’s gambling hub moves to curb rising number of new Covid-19 cases
- The city will suspend almost all business activities for a week from Monday in a bid to control a rising number of new Covid-19 infections
- The last time Macau suspended the operations of all casinos was in February 2020, when the initial wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit the city
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Macau will shut its casinos for the first time in two years on Monday, as the gambling hub suspends almost all business activities for a week in a bid to control a rising number of Covid-19 infections caused by the Omicron variant.
The city’s Chief Executive, Ho Iat-seng, on Saturday issued an executive order to suspend the operation of all non-essential industrial and commercial companies for a week from Monday. Supermarkets, restaurants, pharmacies and other essential public services are not covered by the order, according to a press conference by city officials on the same day.
While requiring all residents to stay home, the order also said all adults must wear KN95 face masks, or those of higher standard, when they need to be outside.
“This is an official order with legal consequences,” said Cheong Weng-chon, Macau’s Secretary for Administration and Justice. He indicated that offenders could face two years in prison, or get fined for up to 240 days, according to the city’s anti-epidemic law.
The order puts the city under a “standstill status”, instead of a citywide lockdown, Cheong said.
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Macau shuts down for mass testing after 31 people test positive for Covid-19
Macau shuts down for mass testing after 31 people test positive for Covid-19
The latest closure could deal a heavy blow to the Chinese gambling mecca, where casino taxes account for more than 80 per cent of the local government’s revenue.
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