GGRAsia – Macau ops join govt push to expand Covid-19 vaccination

Macau ops join govt push to expand Covid-19 vaccination

May 31, 2021 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck

Macau’s six casino operators are joining the local government’s push to expand the city’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, by setting up stations within their own resort properties. That is in order to allow their respective staff to get inoculated on the premises.

MGM China Holdings Ltd was the first of the city’s operators to set up the Health Bureau’s so-called “outreach” Covid-19 vaccination station at one of its properties, the MGM Cotai casino resort, during May 24 and May 25, according to a release.

Sands China Ltd, Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd, Wynn Macau Ltd and SJM Holdings Ltd are also respectively making the necessary arrangements to accommodate the Health Bureau’s outreach vaccination station during June, according to information collated by GGRAsia.

All of the six operators are offering incentives to encourage their staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19, in forms of leave or even a cash prize. Melco Resorts announced on May 21 that it was giving MOP1,000 (US$125) to each of its Macau staff that gets vaccinated against Covid-19, plus the chance to be able to take part in a draw to win one of six cash prizes each worth MOP1 million.

In an email reply to GGRAsia, Wynn Macau Ltd confirmed that it has, since March 4, introduced “two days of special leave” for employees that get vaccinated against Covid-19. Most of the other Macau casino operators also have offered similar holiday benefits encouraging their staff to get inoculated.

So far, a total of 106,437 individuals in Macau – out of more than 682,500 inhabitants recorded at the end of the first quarter – have had at least one jab against Covid-19, according to government data released on Sunday. That is about 16 percent of the city’s population. Of those, 64,181 had each received two doses of the vaccine.

Macau’s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U told reporters on Saturday that a higher coverage of vaccination was needed in order for the city to reach herd immunity. The official also noted that the local health authorities had considered simplifying the vaccination process, allowing people to directly get inoculated at the government’s health service without having to make any prior online registration.