China Puts MGM Cotai on COVID Lockdown as Rapid Testing Continues

A few days ahead of the reopening of borders between mainland China and Macau, MGM China’s Cotai casino in the Special Administrative Region was put down on shutdown on Sunday, after a dealer tested positive for COVID-19. China’s zero-Covid policy has been one of the strictest in dealing with the disease which first emerged in Wuhan back in 2019.

MGM Cotai Hopefully an Isolated Incident

At the Cotai casino, all of its guests, patrons, and members of the staff, have been ordered to stay inside. The closure has even bigger significance as it could spell a new prolonged period of forceful lockdowns and limited casino attendance, adding to the financial woes most Macau casinos experience, despite strong cash on hand and liquidity for many operators.

The city government confirmed on the weekend that the hotel staff and guests along with casino patrons have all been put down on lockdown and quarantined as per a statement released by the SAR’s government. Presently, there is no known number of people who are quarantined inside.

MGM has already confirmed that it is working with the Health Bureau and the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau to ensure that all mandatory precautionary measures are taken so that the disease has a low chance of transmission. The latest case is the third time Macau has registered an infection, after spending more than two months without any cases of COVID-19.

As reminded before, Macau is due to reopen travel from the mainland on November 1, with people able to opt into eVisas to get to the SAR. Presently, Macau’s residents have been put through rapid testing which will last between October 30 and November 1. This testing will encompass all 700,000 Macau residents along with any person who is still on the territory of the SAR.

The Future Outlook for the Industry Is Uncertain

Casinos are still hopeful that the infection can be localized or that it has been caught early enough to prevent larger shutdowns which have been impinging on financial results. This comes in the even more fraught context of a seventh bidder tossing its hat into the ring for one of the six available licenses in Macau.

All along, China has been actively signing to concessionaires that they would need to redouble their efforts to boost their gambling revenue, but relying on overseas customers and trying to stay away from locals. License decisions can actually be made as early as this week, as per official sources from the government.