Macau waiting for China to lift border restrictions

Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, says mainland government needs to green light any easing to border and travel restrictions.

Macau.- Legislators in Macau have urged the government to lift border restrictions with Guandong Province in order to boost the city’s economy and gaming and tourism industries.

But the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, said that while the SAR is working with China to lift restrictions, they are still waiting for a response from the mainland government.

“Macau cannot make the decision, it is a communication between Zhuhai city, Guangdong province and even the Central government,” he said.

At the moment, restrictions involve a mandatory quarantine for all arrivals in Macau while Guangdong is implementing its own Coronavirus quarantine protocols.

Some analysts have said these measures are effectively a second casino shutdown because they are preventing tourists from accessing Macau by land at a time when air travel to the peninsula is almost non-existent.