- Title: Only masked punters: Macau casinos reopen after coronavirus suspension
- Date: 19th February 2020
- Summary: MACAU, CHINA (FEBRUARY 20, 2020) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF SHUTTERS OPENING AT GRAND LISBOA CASINO STAFF WEARING SURGICAL MASKS SHUTTERS OPENING CUSTOMERS ENTERING AS GAMBLING RECOMMENCES CUSTOMER SHOWING HIS ID CARD AND HAVING HIS TEMPERATURE TAKEN BEFORE ENTERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH KOREAN CUSTOMER, MIKE, SAYING: "Usually, the (casino) is twenty-four hour of fun, yeah, but now it already closed and opened again, so I want to come inside." CUSTOMERS ASSEMBLING AT ENTRANCE TO CASINO (SOUNDBITE) (English), SOUTH KOREAN CUSTOMER, MIKE, SAYING: "Yeah, I'm so excited. I want to check it out." ENTRANCE TO GRAND LISBOA CASINO VARIOUS OF ENTRANCE TO CASINO LISBOA VARIOUS OF ENTRANCE TO GRAND LISBOA WITH SIGN IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES WITH CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF GRAND LISBOA CASINO LISBOA SIGN NEON SIGN ADVERTISING WYNN CASINO VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF SHUTTERED CASINOS
- Embargoed: 4th March 2020 19:31
- Keywords: China Macau Wuhan casions coronavirus
- Location: MACAU, CHINA
- City: MACAU, CHINA
- Country: Macau
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C1A0UH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Casinos in Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, reopen on Thursday (February 20) after being closed for two weeks because of the coronavirus epidemic, but all punters and croupiers will have to wear a mask at the tables.
Casino executives and residents say revenue will remain badly crimped in the Chinese territory's 41 casinos and the businesses dependent on them because of the health restrictions and strict entry regulations on tourists.
Macau makes over 80 percent of its revenues from casinos but tourist visits have all but dried up.
One visitor, a South Korean national giving his name as Mike, said he travelled to Macau to enjoy the reopening. "I'm so excited, I want to check it out", he told Reuters.
Authorities said last week the city was receiving around 2,000 daily visitors, a drop of around 98 percent year on year.
The government has suspended an individual travel scheme through which visitors from the mainland gain entry and curtailed transport, including the cancellation of ferry services from neighbouring Hong Kong.
The former Portuguese territory's over 600,000 people are also mostly staying at home.
(Production: Aleksander Solum) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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