The operator of the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino resort in Singapore says it will reopen its hotel there “in stages”, starting on Friday (July 17), and aiming at the “staycation” market among local people.
As of Wednesday, a message on the website of Singapore’s other casino complex, Resorts World Sentosa, run by Genting Singapore Ltd, said: “Our hotels will remain temporarily suspended until further notice.”
At the Marina Bay Sands resort (pictured) the casino – in common with the casino at Resorts World Sentosa – reopened on July 1, to “selected” customers and with extra safety steps in place. Both gaming resorts had been closed since April 7 as part of countermeasures by the city-state against Covid-19.
It emerged on Tuesday that some people with now-confirmed infection from Covid-19 had visited Marina Bay Sands casino since it reopened. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Health, people with the infection were at that location on July 2 between 9.35pm and 10.25pm, and again on July 5 between 10.05pm and 12.50am.
Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd, a unit of United States-based casino firm Las Vegas Sands Corp, said in a Tuesday press release regarding the hotel’s return: “From 17 July, we will reopen our iconic hotel in stages to ensure a higher degree of assurance and care” for customers.
There would be a “limited number of rooms in Tower 1 available for public booking,” the statement said.
The company said that a number of non-gaming facilities affiliated with the hotel, such as the Banyan Tree Spa, would also resume operations on July 17. “Safe distancing and crowd management measures” would be in place at those facilities, the operator said.
Two other eateries at Sands SkyPark, the rooftop area of the building, are scheduled to reopen on August 4, said the statement.
Some non-gaming attractions at each of the city-state’s casino resorts had reopened on June 19, as Singapore entered phase two of exit from its so-called circuit-breaker measures against the pandemic.
Marina Bay Sands noted in its Tuesday press release, that during the initial phase of the mall’s reopening, the management restricted access to members of the Sands Rewards customer-loyalty scheme “to ensure a safe and controlled environment after nearly three months of closure”. That restriction was lifted on July 6. The ArtScience Museum and Sands SkyPark Observation Deck were also opened to a “wider public” on that date, according to the resort’s website.
In its latest statement, Marina Bay Sands clarified that casino access was still currently limited to Sands Rewards customers, members of the firm’s Paiza programme, and holders of a Singapore Annual Levy pass.
As of 12pm on Tuesday, the Singapore government had confirmed 347 additional cases of Covid-19. As of the same time on Tuesday, the city-state had 3,865 active Covid-19 cases, a further 42,737 listed as confirmed but recovered, and 27 deaths.
