Macau casinos on alert as virus spreads

The casinos in Macau are on alert following an outbreak of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in central China.

With several direct flights from Wuhan to Macau each day, officials have directed casinos to adopt preventative measures, including the installation of temperature-screening devices at entrances to properties to check the body temperatures of customers.

Health officials in Wuhan reported on Sunday that around 60 people had been diagnosed with the mystery virus, which has been described as an unknown form of pneumonia. The outbreak has been linked to the city’s seafood market, which was closed for disinfection on January 1.

Those infected, some of whom ran stalls at the market, have been quarantined, but are said to be in a critical condition. On Sunday, officials in Hong Kong reported that the fever had spread there, with 17 suspected cases reported among individuals who had recently returned to the city from Wuhan.