IAG understands the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) held a meeting with the six casino gaming concessionaires on Thursday (30 June), in which the operators were asked to make a dramatic reduction in casino operations by sending the grand majority of gaming employees home, and as a result severely reducing the number of open gaming tables.
Today (Friday), IAG visited several casinos on the Macau peninsula and found very few open gaming tables. There were less than 10 tables open on the gaming floors of Grand Lisboa and MGM Macau and approximately 10 tables open at Sands Macao.
One casino gaming employee told IAG, “On Thursday night, I received a call from the company that because of the epidemic, the number of casino tables will be significantly reduced on Friday, probably to 10 or less.”
IAG reported yesterday that the DICJ has ordered the six concessionaires to reduce the number of staff working to a maximum of 10% of normal.
Head of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, Leong Iek Hou, today pointed out that “the government has closed the offices of public departments, and enterprises are very welcome to do the same as the government.” She also said, “I believe the concessionaires are responding to the government’s appeal.”
The DICJ has not commented publicly on the major reduction in casino operations.
As reported by IAG this morning, a total of 638 positive COVID cases have been recorded in Macau since the current outbreak began on 19 June. Of those, 240 people (38%) have symptoms and 398 people (62%) are currently asymptomatic. There are 23 preliminary positive cases today, so the reported number of cases tomorrow is expected to rise above 650 at minimum.
