Macau casinos to resume operations after suspension due to coronavirus fears

Macau, the world’s gambling capital, will permit casinos to resume operations Thursday following a 15-day suspension to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the Chinese territory, according to a report.

Health officials said Monday that casino operators – including Sands China, Wynn Macau, SJM Holdings , MGM China, Galaxy Entertainment and Melco Resorts — have 30 days to go back to full business, Reuters reported.

On Feb. 4, the government announced the temporary closure of the city’s 41 casinos after officials revealed the coronavirus had sickened 10 people in the city, where the gambling sites took in more than $37 billion in revenue in 2018.

Macau, where there have been 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, has not reported any new cases of the virus since Feb. 4, officials said.

While casinos have been given the green light to open their doors, business is likely to be limited because of the city’s stringent controls on visitor entry and the suspension of ferry services from Hong Kong, according to executives cited by Reuters.