Macau’s government has taken the unprecedented step of shutting down casinos and their respective entertainment outlets such as bars, theatres, cinemas, gaming and bowling arcades, clubs and karaoke venues, fitness centres, beauty and massage parlours.
The 15-day closure came after it was found a 29-year-old hotel staff member had been infected locally following the Lunar New Year when she had shared buses and canteen facilities with other staff.
“It was a hard decision, but we must make it for the health of Macau residents,” said chief executive Ho Iat-seng. “Macau can still withstand economic losses.”
The Macau Ferry Terminal is also to be closed, while the Hong Kong-Zhuhgai-Macau Bridge is open. Macau is not planning on closing all border crossings as many workers live in Zhuhai and the movement of goods needs to be maintained.
Macau’s 41 casinos employ over 57,000 full time staff (figures from 2018) and the gaming industry provides over 80% of the territory’s annual tax revenue. Gaming revenue has fallen recently, but still brought in US$36.5 billion in 2019.