Macau shuts down after one case of covid -- again
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Macau’s MGM Cotai casino locked down after new Covid-19 case as city puts residents through daily tests
MGM China’s Cotai casino in Macau was locked down on Sunday morning after a dealer was found to be infected with Covid-19, according to a local news report, while the city put its residents through three days of tests.
The closure deals yet another blow to casino operators in the world’s biggest gambling hub, who have already been grappling with movement restrictions for more than two and a half years. All the casinos in the hub were earlier shuttered for weeks from July to combat an outbreak.
Government health workers were at the MGM Cotai site with no one allowed to enter or exit the building, according to Inside Asian Gaming, an industry publication. It said guests inside the property have been told by workers that the lockdown may last for two days.
MGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The closure comes after Macau detected its second coronavirus case this month, after having no cases for more than three months. The infections come just ahead of a planned resumption of inbound tours from mainland China visitors in November, after a pause of more than two and a half years.
All of Macau’s 700,000 residents must take a rapid antigen test daily from October 30 to November 1, Macau’s government said in a statement. A 43-year old woman tested positive for the virus along with her two sons, after visiting a mall in Zhuhai, according to a separate statement, adding that she works at the MGM Cotai casino resort.
An Oktoberfest festival event on Sunday at MGM has been cancelled to comply with the pandemic control measures, the casino operator said in a statement on its Facebook page.
Macau’s adherence to Covid Zero means that new infections may risk derailing reopening efforts. Local media reported earlier that the city had given guidelines to travel agents on resuming group tours from mainland China. Both Macau and Zhuhai will require a negative nucleic acid test within 24 hours before entry until November 5, according to local authorities.
Macau’s top six casino operators - MGM, Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment, Wynn Macau, Melco Resorts and SJM Holdings - have been losing millions of dollars monthly due to various curbs and lockdowns necessitated by Beijing’s uncompromising zero-Covid policy.
The six operators are currently awaiting a government decision to an auction for new concessions, with Genting Malaysia coming in as a new, seventh bidder to rock the boat. The decision could come as early as this week, some executives said.
Be prepared to retain this for all over a decade. Nobody will be letting anyone but THEM to call the shots. You cannot. They will not. They cannot.
You know what's funny? Once they are done with you, you will be picking up trash to eat on the streets and you will be happy.
Bug burgers don't even describe what you'll be facing.
Top casino bosses were arrested earlier this year.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/31/police-arrest-macaus-no-2-junket-boss-in-crackdown
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