Macau: 25,000 Casino Employees Tested for COVID-19

Some 25,000 casino employees were tested for COVID-19 in Macau. While the country is near the bottom of the list with total COVID-19 cases, all 25,000 tests came back negative.

More Than 25,000 Casino Employees Tested for COVID-19 in Macau

Late last week, the Macau Health Bureau has announced that it tested more than 25,000 casino employees for COVID-19. All of the tests which were conducted came back negative, said the Health Bureau. According to the announcement, the 25,000 employees were tested over a period of 10 days. The employees tested, which were mainly front-line staff such as dealers and security guards were working at:

• SJM Holdings Ltd
• Sands China Ltd

This represents two out of the six gambling operators running businesses in Macau. Alvis Lo Iek Long, senior physician of the Conde de São Januario Hospital Centre, confirmed that the test type was nucleic acid test (NATs). Looking at data reflecting employment in the gambling sector through the end of last year, Macau had more than 58,000 employees in this sector. With that in mind, more than 25,000 employees were actually front-line workers such as croupiers.

Macau May Have Shaken off the COVID-19 Virus

Focusing on the bigger picture, so far some 300,000 NATs tests were conducted in the country. Most recently, the 25,000 casino employees make for about 8% of that total. Furthermore, the country carries out some 11,000 NATs tests daily. But representatives of the Health Bureau have assured that up to 16,000 tests daily can be carried out.

Looking at data, regarding the total cases in the country, Macau has seen some 46 total COVID-19 cases. With no current active cases and no new case reported in the last 28 days, the country is positioned at the bottom of the list of COVID-19 reported cases by country.

Turning our eyes to the top of the list, some 4,3 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the US, which is the country with most cases. Next in line are Brazil and India, with more than 2.4 million and 1,4 million positive COVID-19 cases respectively.