All casinos in the city will be allowed to resume this Saturday, regardless of the location of their entrances.
In contrast to shops located in shopping malls without direct access to public road, casinos across the city will reopen as the clock strikes midnight on Saturday, no matter whether their entrances face outdoors, like the Lisboa Casino, or indoors, like many other newer establishments.
Health Bureau director Alvis Lo said that before their reopening, all casinos will need to conduct a thorough cleaning and sanitization, especially of surfaces that are easily or frequently accessible.
At any given time, a casino may only have 50% of its staff on the floor. The wearing of masks to the standard of KN95 or higher will be mandatory at all times in casinos. Drinking will be allowed at casinos but eating will be prohibited. Staff will only be allowed to eat individually in suitably segregated spaces.
Explaining the decision not to allow shops in shopping malls to reopen, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong said that the main problem is with the air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
She said that the government has been assured and has itself ascertained that ventilation in casinos is able to lower the risk of infection. “However, we could not guarantee so in all shopping malls,” Ao Ieong said.
As such, the shops without direct access to the street that are located in shopping malls at resorts will not be allowed to reopen. In contrast, the hotels and casinos at these resorts will resume partial operations. Dining establishments, meanwhile, will be allowed to offer takeaway services as they have been in the past 1.5 weeks.
