The Macau government said on Tuesday that the SAR will enter into a two-week “consolidation period” on 23 July as it begins to ease out of its COVID-19 lockdown. However, Leong Iek Hou, who heads the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Division of the Health Bureau (SSM), provided only minimal information on what this consolidation period will entail, with details to be announced later.
Macau Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, visited the Civil Protection Operations Centre on Tuesday to understand the situation and to hold a meeting with officials. In a press release issued afterwards, it was stated that “Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Ao Ieong U, and the health department under her supervision explained the work plan and key concerns for the consolidation period on July 23.”
At the government’s daily 5pm press conference afterwards, Leong said, “After the consolidation period starts as usual on Saturday, the initial plan is to implement the consolidation period for a two-week period, but the actual situation will be decided according to the changes of the epidemic.”
Asked by Inside Asian Gaming for details of the consolidation period and whether casinos will reopen, Leong replied, “It is not possible to open all residential activities during the consolidation period, but commercial and industrial businesses will be partially opened, and there will also be NAT testing.”
However, she stressed that the details would be released in a consolidated manner and did not reveal any other details, nor did she say whether casinos would be opened during the consolidation period.
All Macau casinos were ordered closed after the government imposed a seven-day lockdown on 11 July. The lockdown policy was extended on Sunday for five days until 23 July 23.
