JAKARTA - Macau has locked down one of the city's most famous hotels, Grand Lisboa, after more than a dozen cases of COVID-19 were discovered there on Tuesday, with infections spreading rapidly in the world's biggest gambling hub.
At least 16 other buildings across China's special administrative region were also locked down, with no one allowed in or out.
Authorities have placed more than 13,000 people under quarantine orders, as the city struggles to contain its biggest outbreak since the pandemic began.
According to Reuters on July 6, Macau has recorded more than 900 coronavirus infections since mid-June. Prior to that, most areas of Macau were COVID-free since the outbreak in October 2021.
The Grand Lisboa is the second casino hotel to close in recent weeks. Owned by SJM Holdings, which was started by former Macau kingpin Stanley Ho, Lisboa is one of the city's most famous landmarks.
Local media showed photos of the hotel being closed with people wearing protective gear and hazmat suits standing outside. Grand Lisbon was not immediately available for comment.
While the government has stopped imposing a full-scale lockdown on the former Portuguese colony, seen in Chinese cities like Shanghai, most facilities are closed and restaurants can only serve takeaway.
Residents have been asked to stay at home as much as possible and are required to take three city-wide COVID-19 tests this week. People are also asked to take a rapid antigen test in between.
It is known that only Macau casinos are allowed to remain open to ensure job security. The government relies on industry for more than 80 percent of its tax revenue with most of the population employed directly or indirectly by casino resorts.
While the casino is physically open, there are few customers inside and only a small number of staff, with many employees being asked to stay home to comply with government requests.
Macau is adhering to China's "zero-COVID" policy which aims to eradicate all outbreaks, at any cost, against the global trend of trying to coexist with the virus.
However, the region still has an open border with mainland China, with its economy heavily dependent on the influx of Chinese visitors.
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