The Macau government will from this Friday 1 July require all people entering Macau’s casinos – including staff, customers and government personnel – to show proof of a negative nucleic acid test (NAT) obtained within the previous 48 hours.
The new measure, first announced on Sunday, was officially stated via a notice from Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau on Tuesday, is due to come into effect from 7am on Friday.
Under the DICJ’s stipulations, all casino staff will be required to show a negative nucleic acid test (NAT) result obtained within the previous 48 hours before each shift, and to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) upon arrival for each shift.
“All personnel, including customers, staff and public sector personnel, must hold a negative NAT certificate within 48 hours and [for casino staff] a RAT on the day [taken] before the gaming staff goes to work or before entering the casino,” it said.
“The cost of [these] NATs and RATs for casino employees will be the responsibility of the gaming company.”
The latest measure comes as Macau finds itself in the grip of its first major COVID-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago, with 414 cases confirmed as of Tuesday morning.