Macao, the world's biggest gambling hub, began its second day of mass Covid-19 testing on Monday after dozens of locally transmitted cases were discovered over the weekend.
But while most businesses have shut, casinos remain open.The testing of Macao's roughly 600,000 residents is expected to end on Tuesday. The Chinese-ruled former Portuguese colony adheres to China's strict zero-Covid policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks at just about any cost.The casino hub recorded 31 cases on Sunday, ending an eight-month streak of zero infections, the Macao government announced in a Facebook post.
Most of these must quarantine for 10 days on arrival, though some from low-risk areas in mainland China are exempt.These restrictions have threatened the business model at the heart of Macao's economy, which traditionally depends on millions of visitors from mainland China. Shares of Macao casinos tumbled on Monday morning. Sands China led the slide, falling over 8% in the biggest decline since March 15.