DICJ issues regulations to prevent Covid-19 infection at reopened casinos

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) met with representatives of all six concessionaires on Tuesday and laid out a series of strengthened regulations to prevent Covid-19 infection among casino patrons and staff.

The regulations, issued as "Guidelines for Disinfecting the Environment and the Facilities of the Gambling and Entertainment Industry" and the "Recommendations for Personnel and Customer Management after Restarting the Gaming Sector" outline a number of specific measures.

Previous measures to be reinstituted include the measuring of body temperature for all visitors and workers at the casinos, at each of the territory’s 405 entries and exits for customers and 47 for workers, as well as the requirement that all customers and staff wear facemasks.

In continuous and strict compliance with the instructions of the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, cleaning and disinfection of casino spaces must be frequently carried out.

New measures include the requirements that gaming tables must be placed a safe distance apart, and no more than half of the tables in a given space may be in operation. Customers must also not be placed next to one another, meaning that, for example, only three or four people will be allowed to bet simultaneously at a seven-person table.

Additionally, gaming machines must be separated so that customers are not seated too closely.

Spaced seating arrangements are also to be instituted in the canteens for workers, and during break times the workers should be dispersed rather than gathered in one confined space.

In these ways, the Macau authorities hope to prevent the risk of further contagion.