The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has announced that all casinos in the SAR have been closed due to the continued increase in cases of Covid-19.
This decision was approved by Macau CEO Ho Ian Seng. He said all casino operations will be suspended from midnight on July 11th to midnight on July 18th and may be extended if necessary.
This is the first time the city has taken a general blockade for more than two years, during which time it has enforced strict travel restrictions for many periods.
The blockage also affects businesses other than games. All industrial and commercial enterprises and venues must be shut down and some important services are exempt from these measures.
According to official statistics, more than 1,500 individual cases have been recorded in the city since June, and more than 19,000 have been quarantined, including many at the Grand Lisboa Casino.
90% of the city’s inhabitants have been vaccinated with the Covid vaccine at least twice. China and its SAR continue to pursue a “Zero Corona” strategy. As a result, outbreaks that may be relatively small by Western standards still result in strict government action.
Prior to the recent wave, Macau has been struggling to recover from the economic damage of the pandemic, so it has approved a major overhaul of casino taxes and licensing laws.
Even before the blockade, Macau’s casino industry is suffering from travel bans and other regulations, with revenues in the first half of 2022 falling more than 80% below pre-Covid levels.
