New Covid-19 cases detected at Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands has detected new Covid-19 cases associated with a cluster of infections at the casino venue.

Singapore.- Marina Bay Sands has now reported 63 Covid-19 cases related to the casino venue after two new cases were detected at the weekend.

The casino operator implemented a two-week closure from July 22 to August 5 while cleaning was carried out. All staff members were tested.

Marina Bay Sands reopened last week. It said it had adhered to the highest safety, hygiene, and testing standards, often going beyond regulatory guidelines. The company said almost 90 per cent of its staff have now been vaccinated. 

Singapore’s Ministry of Health has reported the country had 78 new cases of Covid-19 infection, with 73 of those locally transmitted, and 43 of the tally linked to previous cases. Some 69 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

Drop in the number of gamblers in Singapore in 2020

A survey conducted by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) revealed that 44 per cent of respondents gambled at least once during 2020, down from 52 per cent in 2017.

The survey also found that probable pathological and problem gambling (PPPG) rates among residents remained low at 1.2 per cent.

The survey was taken by 3,000 Singapore residents aged 18 and above between February and December last year. Singapore conducts a survey every three years to monitor the number of potential problem gamblers.

It found that the average monthly bet declined from SGD30 in 2017 to SGD15 in 2020, while 89 per cent of gamblers bet SGD100 or less monthly and only 0.3 per cent bet more than SGD1,000 per month.

The NCPG said the decline Covid-19 restrictions during the period of the survey could have affected responses.