Macau: banks close doors to contain Coronavirus spread

Banks will be closed from Thursday until next Monday as a part of measures being taken to contain Coronavirus.

Macau.- The Macau Association of Banks has said that local banks will be closed on January 30 and 31 as part of efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

While bank branches will be closed, online banking and ATM machines will remain in service.

Traditionally, bank branches reopen after the Chinese New Year holidays but the closing period will be extended as Coronavirus continues to spread throughout Macau, China, Asia and beyond.

Local settlement, loans, credit card repayments and time deposit maturity dates will also be postponed to February 3, but international and cross-border settlement services already agreed will be maintained.

If local institutions require urgent settlement services for the purchase of medical supplies and daily necessities they should contact the account manager of their respective bank.

The decision comes after local authorities announced that public workers will be exempt from working on January 30 and 31 as a preventive measure and asked private entities to do the same.

Several travel restrictions have also been put in place for Macau and Hong Kong, such as the suspension of individual travel visas for mainlanders wanting to visit the SARs and the cancellation or reduction of ferry services.

There are currently seven confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Macau, all Wuhan residents, with patients said to be in stable conditions.