COVID-19 Surge Forces Macau Casinos To Shut Down First Time in Two Years

Macau decided to shut down all its casinos to contain a COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Omicron variant of the deadly virus.

Since the middle of June, Macau has reported roughly 1,500 cases, and 19,000 individuals are currently under compulsory quarantine.

More than 30 casinos in Macau will close for at least a week, and locals are advised to stay at home except for essential travel. This is the first time in the past two years, according to Al Jazeera.

Police will keep an eye on the movement of people outdoors, and the government, which is adopting the rigorous "zero COVID" policy of mainland China, warned that violators would be slapped with harsh penalties.

Public Frustration With China's Harsh Restrictions Grows

More than 30 areas have been classified as high risk and are now closed with no access for at least five days.

The Chinese government's management of the pandemic is prompting growing public frustration. Several locals had to wait in line for more than 20 hours to access healthcare facilities while fights erupted at testing centers.

Residents will be mandated to undergo COVID-19 tests four times this week. Since mid-June, they have undergone six tests and are obligated to perform rapid antigen testing daily.

Over 90% of Macau's 600,000 citizens have received the entire COVID-19 vaccination, but this is the first time the city has had to cope with the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The autonomous region on the south coast of China last closed its casinos in February 2020 for 15 days, per Reuters. In the past, the government has been cautious about shutting down casinos because of its duty to safeguard jobs. More than 80% of government income comes from this sector, which directly and indirectly employs the majority of the population.

As part of their efforts to enhance capacity to tackle the rise in infections, authorities have added two hotels in well-known gambling resorts for use as COVID healthcare centers.

COVID-19 Cases in the US Are Also Rising Again

Meanwhile, Heart of Illinois ABC reported that the United States had recorded more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, but experts believe the figure might be higher.

According to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one-third of Americans now reside in counties with a "high COVID-19 community level," which implies the organization advises indoor masking.

The list includes counties from coast to coast, including New York City, a pandemic epicenter in 2020. California is also alarmed about the latest outbreak of COVID-19.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferre said: "It is looking more likely as cases and admissions have continued to increase that will enter the high community-level designation later this month."

According to John Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing steadily, with 108,000 new cases being recorded daily over the past two weeks. That represents an increase of 6% from the previous two weeks.

Due to the extensive usage of at-home test kits, health professionals caution that statistics on the surge in COVID-19 cases may not fully reflect the situation.

The CDC attributes the spike to the two omicron subvariants that may be partially immune to COVID-19 vaccinations and earlier infections, but doctors say the existing vaccines and boosters offer significant immunity against severe illness.

According to the World Health Organization, there was no surge in the number of vulnerable people who received vaccinations and boosters being admitted to intensive care units.