COVID-19: Macau announces new restrictions on Hong Kong, China visitors
24 March, 2020
The world's biggest gambling hub of Macau will ban entry from Wednesday (Mar 25) for visitors from mainland China, neighbouring Hong Kong and Taiwan who've travelled overseas in the previous 14 days, as it battles a coronavirus pandemic.
Macau has 25 infections and visitors from the higher China region constitute more than 90 % of its tourists. Last week it had banned foreign visitors and foreign non-resident workers, while exempting those from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
People who have not travelled abroad during the past fourteen days also face 2 weeks of quarantine, Ho Iat Seng, the leader of the former Portuguese colony, said on Tuesday.
"The federal government assures all Macau citizens it'll do a good job in epidemic prevention at any cost," Ho added.Although Macau's casinos have reopened after a two-week suspension in February, revenues have plummeted by almost 90 %, hit by visit curbs and health regulations.
Visitors to Macau dropped 96 % in February on the entire year, while its government slashed a forecast for gross annual gross gaming earnings by 56 %, to 130 billion patacas (US$16.3 billion), from 260 billion estimated last year.
More than 80 % of Macau's revenue originates from casinos. Operators Wynn Macau, Sands China, MGM China , Melco Resorts, SJM Holdings and Galaxy Entertainment are bleeding between US$1.5 million and US$4 million a day to keep their properties running.
Analysts expect March gambling earnings to fall up to 80 %.
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