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No more COVID-19 test certificates needed to enter Macau casino
The Macau government said on Tuesday that people trying to enter the Macau casino floor after midnight on Wednesday no longer need to show test certificates proving there are no more COVID-19 infections. https://www.racesite.pro
However, authorities added that the rule that all people in mainland China who wish to enter Macau must obtain a negative nucleic acid test report within seven days of entry remains in place. Many investment analysts have suggested that Covid-19's entry test requirements for Macau and the validity period of the test certificate are factors that deter tourists from mainland China to visit Macau.
The mainland is currently the only place with Macau and most quarantine-free travel bubbles. DS Kim, an analyst at JP Morgan Bank Group, said in a note on Tuesday that lowering the need for test certificates for casino access may be a "small step" to further ease restrictions on the market.
But he said, "People entering Macau from mainland China already have negative test results… I don't think the rule change will affect inbound demand." But the changes will probably help revive demand for "regional" players who have "nearly missed out since mid-July," he added.
"Macao play will be 2-3% of total gaming revenue in that market," brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd said in a note Wednesday." Analysts Vitaly Umansky, Tianjiao Yu and Louis Li described the Covid-19 test requirements for casino entry as "a positive step toward normalization," but we do not see border changes in the near future."
Mainland infection report down
Local authorities have introduced COVID-19 testing certification regulations for casino access since July 15. Factors affecting the decision to ease COVID-19 testing rules for casino access are included, the local government said, calling it an ongoing "intense compliance" with COVID-19 response measures against casino floors. These included self-certifying individuals' health through a local online health code system to access the casino floor, using protective face masks, introducing barrier separation between players, and social distancing rules ensuring proper spacing between everyone inside the casino.
Macau's government said the fact that mainland China's pandemic risk has "significantly decreased" since mid-February also contributed to its decision to revoke COVID-19 test certificate requirements. Currently, there have been no "used" areas of COVID-19 infection "at least 10 consecutive days, 24 consecutive days of regional transmission" in mainland China.
In addition, the epidemic "will be relatively more stable as the weather warms up," the Macau government said. In a note on Tuesday, Deutsche Bank Group analysts Carlo Santarelli and Steven Pichella suggested that changes to casino access rules were "the strongest sign of meaningful progress" toward normalizing market access "to some extent."
The so-called "two sessions" are meetings of the Chinese National People's Congress and the top political advisor, the People's Political Consultative Conference, which kicks off in Beijing on Thursday (March 4). "We don't expect the benefits of these changes to emerge in March, but we believe there will be a notable recovery after a government meeting later this month." China's new public policy announcements or initiatives could be in line with NPC and CPPCC meetings.
News of easing casino entry came as Macau casinos' total gaming revenue in February actually fell 8.9% month-on-month, data showed on Monday. This February included China's New Year, a pre-pandemic period, which is usually one of the strongest trading periods on the city's game floor.