Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, will allow casinos to resume operations Thursday after authorities imposed a two-week suspension to keep the coronavirus in check, according to public broadcaster TDM.
The unprecedented halt of gaming operations started Feb. 5 and had been due to end Wednesday. Macau has not reported any new cases of the virus since Feb. 4, authorities said. There have been 10 confirmed cases of the virus in total.
Government services that had mostly been suspended since the start of February began to resume operations this week, but authorities cautioned that residents need to remain vigilant.
Macau's government has told casino operators, which include Sands China, Wynn Macau, SJM Holdings, MGM China, Galaxy Entertainment and Melco Resorts, they have 30 days to go back to full business, health officials said Monday.
While casinos have been given permission to operate, business is likely to be limited, say executives, due to Macau's strict controls on visitor entry and curtailed transport links, including the suspension of ferry services from neighboring special administrative region Hong Kong.
Nearly 30 hotels, mostly joined to casinos, have been shuttered for the last two weeks due to the suspension. It was not immediately clear how quickly those operations, as well as other non-gaming amenities would resume.