Coronavirus: Macau casinos to reopen for business as 15-day shutdown order comes to an end
- Unprecedented closure order started on February 5 and Macau has not reported any new cases of the virus since February 4
- Government services also resuming operations this week, but order for pubs and karaoke bars to remain
Macau’s casinos will reopen for business on Thursday, the city’s government has said, as a 15-day shutdown imposed to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus comes to an end.
But the order would remain in place for other entertainment premises such as pubs, karaoke bars, cinemas and steam rooms, the authorities said on Monday.
Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai-nong said the closure order would not be extended and casino operators had 30 days to return to full business.
Casino visitors would be required to wear a mask and have their temperature checked at the entrance.
The closure was the longest ever shutdown of gambling activities in Macau since it returned to Chinese administration in 1999. It was only the second such suspension, after Typhoon Mangkhut forced a 33-hour shutdown two years ago.
The closure was to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus after it was found that there were two casino workers among the 10 cases of the virus, which spreads the disease now called Covid-19, in Macau.
