Gov’t eases restrictions for entertainment venues, capacity up to 75%

Local health authorities have decided to ease the restrictions for entertainment and recreational venues, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center has informed.

Entertainment venues can now be occupied up to 75% of their total capacity instead of the previous 50%, the coordinator of the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Leong Iek Hou, announced during the latest briefing from the center on the pandemic.

Nonetheless, Leong noted the relaxation is not without trade-offs, since the increased capacity is only available to venues that fully comply with the prevention and control guidelines and at which all the staff, performers and those involved are fully vaccinated or possess a valid negative nucleic acid test.

During the announcement, Leong said that the decision to ease the capacity limit for the venues is based on the current vaccination rate in Macau, which, according to official figures of May 1 at 4 p.m., now stands at 87.98%.

Questioned whether members of the public must offer proof of compliance with the vaccination rule to the event organizer while purchasing tickets or upon entry to a given performance or event, the same government official said, “This will depend on the organizers. They will have to issue their own guidelines on how to guarantee that the conditions are strictly followed.”

Until these guidelines are amended by event organizers, it is unclear whether citizens must present proof of vaccination while purchasing venue entry tickets or whether they can do so as their own responsibility. In the latter case, individuals would risk being prevented from entering the venue if incomplete or inaccurate information was provided to the organizers at the time of booking.