The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) has directed casinos to cut employee numbers by 90% due to the area’s most severe surge in COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. This instruction, intended to mitigate the spread, is one element of a wider mandate for casino businesses to briefly scale back their overall activities by 10%, guaranteeing a staff excess.
This action, though not permanent, puts substantial pressure on Macau’s gaming personnel and leadership. Local informants suggest the staff decrease will be implemented from July 1st to July 8th, 2022. Nevertheless, this period is open to prolongation if COVID-19 instances continue to climb in Macau.
Although the DICJ has not yet verified these steps, a formal declaration is anticipated shortly.
This development trails a recent statement on June 30th, 2022, where Macau eliminated the necessity for construction and casino personnel in the zone to provide a negative nucleic acid test every 48 hours. In its place, workers are now obligated to present rapid antigen test outcomes, which are simpler to manage. This choice was reached after the prior stipulation resulted in significant gatherings and logistical hurdles at testing locations.
By the conclusion of June 30th, 2022, Macau experienced a concerning rise in COVID-19 infections, as 66 fresh cases brought the cumulative number of infections since the start of the outbreak to 638.
