Last week, Covid-19 rules for people going from Macau to Zhuhai were relaxed. Travelers are no longer required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, but must hold a Covid-negative certificate issued within 48 hours.
The stricter measures were put in place on September 26 due to a viral outbreak in Macau. The quarantine rule caused many holiday travelers to stay home for the annual Golden Week celebration, October 1-7, typically a peak tourism time for Macau.
Some analysts have criticized Macau’s zero-tolerance Covid policy as harsh and impractical, but in an October 18 note, brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein noted, “It’s important that Macau maintains tight border control and zero-Covid policy as long as China does, during the early phase of recovery.” Mainland China and Hong Kong together contribute 90 percent of Macau’s visitor volume in 2019, Bernstein said.
According to the Macau Daily Times, most locals were happy the restrictions have been lifted. “I haven’t been able to work for the past two weeks, so it’s been a little tough financially,” said a person identified as Chung, who lives on the mainland and works in Macau. “I’m happy to be able to work again.”
Safety precautions for people entering Macau from Zhuhai remain the same, with travelers requiring a Covid test valid for seven days.
With upheaval caused by Covid-19, Macau casino operators are set to report their worst quarter so far this year, with 3Q21 profits falling to $62 million in EBITDA, according to a survey of eight brokerages by Bloomberg.
“Local Covid-19 flare ups driven by the delta variant and the government’s proposal to tighten its grip over gaming companies have combined to make the third quarter one of the most volatile since the virus first battered Macau’s tourism-reliant industry,” wrote Bloomberg in a report.
The industry profit estimate is down 97 percent from the pre-Covid year, reported Asia Gaming Brief.
