Macau Readies to Enter ‘Consolidation Phase,’ Ease ‘Zero COVID’ Policy

Macau casinos remain shuttered on the local government’s orders through at to the lowest degree this Saturday, July 23. When they power be permitted to reopen is unclear.

Macau, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China, remains on lockdown because of a COVID-19 outbreak that began inwards mid-June. But government officials say young cases and hospitalizations are trending positively in a downward manner, prompting talks as to when life-time might begin reverting to some signified of normal.

SAR leaders explained today that Macau testament enter a “consolidation phase” after Sat barring a spike in unexampled cases. The consolidation phase, the governance said, testament include the reopening of non-essential businesses on a selective basis.

As to when Macau casinos might turn of events rear on their one-armed bandit machines and proceeds dealers and gamblers to their baccarat tables, the resolve is unknown.

“It remains unclear when some businesses, including casinos, will follow permitted to open,” a governing representative told Inside Asian Gaming.

Before the coronavirus, gambling accounted for more than 80% of Macau’s annual task revenue. The gaming industry is also the SAR’s largest employer, as the VI licensed commercial casinos employ around 60,000 people.

Containment Strategy

Prior to the June outbreak, Macau had managed to donjon its enclave disengage of new COVID-19 infections for nearly the total duration of the pandemic. Despite being parting of PRC where the coronavirus is thought to have got originated, Macau counted less than 60 cases from 2019 through and through May 2022.

That all changed when a flock of new infections overspread rapidly last-place month and into July. Macau has confirmed o'er 1,700 new cases since the mid-June outbreak.

All non-essential businesses, including casinos, have been shut since July 11. The original one-week lockdown was afterwards extended by fin days through and through July 23.

The lockdown has been a success, so says Dr. Leong Iek Hou, the chief medical expert at Macau’s Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center.

We experience recorded a downward trend inwards the figure of community cases detected, Leong explained this week. She went on to say that Macau is now inward a new “zero COVID” point where the neighborhood has “the way to command and discover positive cases quickly” and “maintain a stalls outbreak.”

Leong essentially elaborate that Macau is redefining its “zero COVID” insurance to set aside non-essential businesses to run irrespective of little outbreaks.

COVID Easing Fuels Shares

Macau’s top off wellness functionary locution non-essential businesses will likely reopen inwards spite of on-going COVID-19 cases provided some enthusiasm to weary investors. Shares of the iv US-traded Macau gambling casino giants from each one made considerable gains during Tuesday trading.

Las Vegas Sands was upwardly 2.5%, MGM Resorts was upward 3.25%, Wynn Resorts gained more than 5%, and Melco Resorts was the day’s big winner climbing o'er 7.5%.

Gaming inward Macau remains greatly suppressed in 2022 from pre-pandemic levels. Through the world-class half of the year, casinos have got won $3.25 billion. Through sextet months inwards 2019, porcine gaming revenue totaled over $18.5 billion.