Malaysia’s Resorts World Genting shuts until March 31

Mar 17, 2020 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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The Resorts World Genting casino complex (pictured in a file photo) in Genting Highlands near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, will “temporarily close” from Wednesday (March 18) to March 31, said its management in a written announcement on Tuesday. The closure is part of efforts to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The casino resort is the main business unit of Genting Malaysia Bhd.

The closure will cover “hotel facilities, food and beverage outlets, [the] casino, Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park, entertainment facilities, attractions, shopping malls and retail outlets” at the complex, according to Tuesday’s statement. “Resorts World Genting will resume operations from 1 April 2020,” it added.

The announcement followed the Malaysian government’s decision on Monday to ban overseas citizens from coming to the country, and to shut businesses and schools. The nation had as of Monday the greatest number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia, standing at 553.

Malaysia is also barring its own people from travelling overseas, the country’s prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address late on Monday. Business premises will be closed except for markets that supply daily needs, and across the country, the movement of people will also be restricted in an effort to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus associated with the Covid-19 disease.

In his announcement, the prime minister said the government’s priority was “to prevent a new spread” of the outbreak. “The current situation of this outbreak requires drastic measures to restore the situation as soon as possible,” he added.

In Tuesday’s statement, the management of Resorts World Genting said that essential resort-based services such as security, utilities and clinics would remain operational during the closure period.

“All reservations made for stay at our hotels during this period will be cancelled. Guests may seek a refund or change their reservation dates,” according to the statement. “The same applies for reservations made at Resorts World Awana, Resorts World Kijal and Resorts World Langkawi,” said the announcement in a reference to other hotel properties.

In late February, Genting Malaysia said in a filing that it expected demand for international travel “to decline in the near-term” following the imposition of travel restrictions and widespread concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. “The regional leisure and hospitality industry will be adversely impacted, including the gaming industry,” said the company.

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