Macau to decide if Hong Kong visitors can enter casinos

Authorities are analysing whether to allow quarantine-free guests coming from Hong Kong to enter Macau’s casinos.

Macau.- The Macau government is working with the city’s Health Bureau to decide how to implement a new scheme to accept quarantine-free guests coming from Hong Kong with limited movements and short trips.

Some 51 hotels have expressed an interest in Macau’s plans to allow quarantine-free inbound travel from Hong Kong. Now one of the key matters being discussed is the possibility of allowing access to casino floors, most likely with limits on visitor numbers.

Authorities are also considering an application system for those who wish to visit Macau.

Under the new scheme, visitors will be allowed from Hong Kong who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least 14 days before travel would be allowed to enter Macau. Visitors will need to present a negative Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours and a negative result from a test taken upon arrival in Macau.

They will also have to present the Macao Health Code, the government document that classifies health status by colour: red, yellow, and green. A blue colour may be added for those arriving from Hong Kong. This would prohibit access to bars, parties and karaoke clubs.

Between January and May 2021, only 270,394 visitors came from Hong Kong to Macau, a drop of 59 per cent year-on-year. A Hong Kong-Macau travel bubble is highly anticipated by the tourism and gaming sector after a weak performance during June and expectations surrounding the summer holidays.