Metro Manila Casinos to close until at least January 15

Due to a new outbreak of Covid-19 cases, authorities in Manila ordered casino venues to close their doors until at least January 15.

The Philippines.- The capital city of Manila is under Level 3 Covid-19 restrictions and authorities have now decided to close casinos in Entertainment City from January 3 to January 15.

The measure was taken after a new rise of Covid-19 cases and the detection of three local cases of the Omicron variant.

According to Asia Gaming Brief, presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles stated: “The epidemiological investigation on the three local cases indicate there is a high possibility of local transmission of Omicron.

“In the coming days, we might see an increase in active cases.”

The government of The Philippines had previously decided to keep the country under Alert Level 2 until the end of last year. 

However, authorities warned it was not possible to downgrade the level of Covid-19 alert due to uncertainty surrounding the Omicron strain. 

Until new restrictions were announced, casinos in Metro Manila were operating on a limited basis.

Last November, City of Dreams Manila had announced through its website that it had increased its casino gaming floor capacity from 75 per cent to 90 per cent. However, it hasn’t made any announcements yet regarding the new countermeasures.