Macau
is experiencing the worst wave of
Covid since
the
beginning of the
pandemic , and today a severe
lockdown
was announced ,
which provides for the closure, starting from Monday and for a week, of casinos and non-essential businesses.
From the beginning of next week, the former Portuguese colony will go into "static management" for a week and residents will have to stay at home, senior official Andre Cheong said at a press conference.
Offenders face up to two years in prison
.
Some public services and businesses, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, will be allowed to remain open, but casinos - which account for around 80% of government revenue - will have to close.
Macau, which has 600,000 inhabitants, is the only city in
China
where casinos are allowed.
Today, 71 new cases of Covid have been recorded, bringing the total of infections to 1,374 since the last wave that began on June 18.
A very low figure compared to other parts of the world, but the city follows the strict 'zero Covid' policy adopted by mainland China.