Operator News
China – Macau’s casinos begin to close attractions following seventh Coronavirus confirmation
By Phil - 29 January 2020
Macau’s casinos have begun to close some of their non-gaming facilities following a seventh confirmed case of the Coronavirus.
As well as the cancellation of the traditional dragon and lion dance parade at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinese New Year ceremonies held by Sands China, Tonny Jan’s Mind Hacker at The Parisian, Cantopop band The Wynners at The Venetian, The House of Dancing Water, Leon Metro Live 2.0 Concert at City of Dreams and Kids’ City at City of Dreams and Warner Bros. Fun Zone at Studio City, and the Move! into the wildlife exhibition at Galaxy Macau have all closed along with UA Galaxy Cinemas, Macau Tower Cinema, Cinemateca Paixão, Cineteatro Macau Cinema and Cinema Alegria.
Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho said: “The health and safety of our guests and colleagues is always our top priority. Melco has stringent operational protocols in place to safeguard the wellbeing of all visitors to our properties and our colleagues. In the current difficult times, we will continue to collaborate closely with the Macau government and adapt rigorous preventive measures across the properties.”
Visitation to Macau from mainland China has fallen by almost 80 per cent year-on-year. The Macao Government Tourism Office said the total number of visitors to Macau over the first three days of the Lunar New Year Golden Week to 158,429, a fall of 60.5 per cent from 2019’s figures with visitors from China down 66.3 per cent to 91,549 including a 79.6 decline on Sunday to 25,447.
“News is likely to be bleaker before it turns brighter, and stocks will remain under pressure and likely volatile,” Vitaly Umansky, senior research analyst at Sanford C Bernstein
