Macau on Monday shut down all its casinos for the first time in more than two years, Chinese state-run media reported, as the number of new infections with the novel coronavirus has been increasing recently.
In one of the world's biggest gambling cities with a population of around 680,000, all commercial facilities, excluding groceries and pharmacies, will be closed and the movements of its citizens will be significantly restricted for the next one week.
Similar to Hong Kong, the Macau Special Administrative Region operates under China's "one country, two systems" principle, which allows the city to have a high degree of autonomy over domestic affairs.
Macau has apparently followed China's radical "zero-COVID" policy, such as imposing lockdowns on cities when outbreaks occur and quarantines on travelers from abroad, as the Communist-led government has exercised overall jurisdiction over the casino hub.
In Macau, the number of new COVID-19 cases has risen to more than 1,500 since mid-June, according to Chinese media.
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Macau casinos, largest gambling hub, to shut amid virus outbreak
