A hotel and casino resort in Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, was locked down with hundreds of people inside on Tuesday after a single positive Covid case was detected in the premises as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak in the special administrative region (SAR).
The city, a former Portuguese colony, has ordered mass tests for its 600,000 residents after 47 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases were detected since Sunday.
The Macau SAR government has closed down public venues, including schools, parks, museums and sports facilities in an effort to reduce gatherings and contain the spread.
Public sector companies, except those providing emergency or essential services, suspended operation since Monday.
Local authorities have urged all residents to stay at home.
“All businesses, except for supermarkets and grocery stores, were asked to remain closed until further notice, and all restaurants suspended dine-in services,” official news agency, Xinhua, reported.
Those leaving Macau – the only place in China where gambling is legal – for neighbouring Zhuhai city in south China’s Guangdong province are required to present negative nucleic acid test reports from within 24 hours, instead of the previous seven days, the Xinhua report said.
“Between 500 and 700 people, including hotel staff, are currently being held in Macau’s Hotel Fortuna due to what is believed to be a positive case of Covid-19. It is not known if the positive case is an employee or a guest,” local media outlet, Asgam.com reported.
A large number of police officers in protective clothing arrived at the hotel and sealed it off, preventing people from entering or exiting, the report said.
The SAR’s economy is fully dependent on gambling and has taken a massive hit since 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Majority of its casino visitors come from the mainland.
While a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in April had predicted a gradual recovery, the latest outbreak is expected to hit Macau hard.
“Macau SAR’s recovery is expected to continue in 2022, but it will take several years before the economy returns to its pre-crisis level,” the IMF report said, adding: “Short-term risks to the outlook include a re-intensification of the Covid-19 pandemic and an increase in Macau SAR’s financial sector stress.”
“The heavy impact of the pandemic on Macau SAR’s growth highlights the need to diversify the economy beyond the gaming industry,” the IMF report said.
