Macau Chief Executive asked operators for contribution

Macau Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, asked for more resorts to be used as quarantine venues amid Coronavirus crisis.

Macau.- Tighter restrictions to Macau’s border are being applied while efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the city are still strong. According to the Chief Executive of Macau, Ho Iat Seng, none of the city’s six gaming concessionaires have agreed to offer hotel facilities for assisting the quarantined people.

Instead, the authorities could get the contribution of eight hotels: Pousada Marina Infante, Golden Crown China Hotel, Regency Art Hotel, Grand Coloane Resort, Treasure Hotel, Metropole Hotel, Grand Lapa Hotel and the two-star guest house San Tung Fong Commercial Inn.

“We keep looking for more hotels to be appointed quarantine venues but we can’t contact any hotels within integrated resorts,” the Chief Executive said. “We don’t want to utilise hotels in integrated resorts until the last minute since it would impact their dining and business operations, but it’s really difficult to find more available hotels at this moment”.

“We previously shut down the gaming industry for 15 days, and the six gaming operators guaranteed to continue paying their employees during this period. They also donated many face masks and supplies for the government and many social associations. We’d really appreciate this contribution from the six gaming operators”, added, but then asked for more commitment.

“The operators should reconsider what is the true corporate social responsibility (CSR),” he said. “CSR is not only about publicity in newspapers or donating several supplies to the public.”

“When the entire society encounters challenges, we should take and share more responsibilities together.”

Despite the current law in Macau allows the government to requisition hotels in the case of emergencies, the Chief Executive does not want to exercise the government’s authority unless absolutely necessary and has urged operators to support the government voluntarily instead.

“It would be much easier if we could find a hotel with 3,000 rooms. We pay for the fees, we don’t ask to use them for free,” he stated. “What the gaming operators have done, Macau residents see in their eyes and keep in their minds.”