Macau arrivals fall as Covid cases rise

Macau visitor arrivals fell 70 per cent from September 24 to September 25 as the government stepped up travel restrictions due to the latest Covid outbreak, says Bernstein Research.

The brokerage added its voice to concerns raised by other analysts that the October Golden Week holiday, which begins on Thursday, is “on the line” if travel restrictions are not lifted soon.

Macau discovered an imported Covid case from Turkey on September 18. However, it subsequently found that two security guards working in a quarantine hotel had been infected, triggering the immediate imposition of safety measures.

These include the second round of mass testing of the entire population, which Bernstein said this time is being carried out “quickly and efficiently.”

As of Monday, 607,000 tests had been completed, out of a total population of 640,000, with no new cases discovered. One further imported case was announced of a woman returning from travelling in Europe, the 67th in total for Macau.

Source: Asia Gaming Brief