The Macau government has decided to ban international flights from other countries. The decision will come into force on January 9. It was adopted in order to curb another increase in the incidence of COVID-19.

The press office of the City Health Bureau said on January 6 that the agency will prohibit "civilian aircraft from carrying passengers from places outside of China to Macau."

In the special administrative region of the Middle Kingdom, as in neighboring Hong Kong, serious restrictions on the movement of tourists have been preserved. As a result of the new air travel rule, non-resident visitors will not be able to enter the city. At the same time, all residents arriving in Macau from abroad are subject to mandatory quarantine, regardless of whether they tested positive for coronavirus or not.

With the exception of mainland China and Hong Kong, the period of self-isolation can be from 21 to 35 days, depending on which country the resident comes from.

Note that Hong Kong announced similar measures on January 5th. There, authorities imposed a two-week ban on inbound flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States. The restrictions will be in effect from January 8 to 21.

The imposition of a ban on international air travel is expected to cause serious damage to the Macau gambling market. So far, 79 cases have been reported in the world's largest gambling zone, although asymptomatic episodes are reported separately.

The city's first confirmed case of a variant of Omicron was identified on December 26, prompting authorities to become more vigilant as the situation develops. incidence in the region.

The former Portuguese colony is now home to at least 650,000 people spread over an area of ​​30 square kilometers. These indicators make Macau one of the most densely populated regions on the planet.

Recall, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley, in 2022, the profit volume of Macau casino operatorswill grow by 15%.