Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has confirmed that the country will be moving away from a “Zero Covid” strategy in a bid to reopen its economy. 

Macau’s government is planning to maintain its zero-COVID policy and be ‘in unanimity’ with the epidemic prevention guidelines of mainland China, while simultaneously expecting that the SAR’s gaming sector delivers revenues which will equate to ‘not less than 40 percent’ of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

As I’m writing this, there appears to be very little light at the end of a very long tunnel for Macau.

China this week announced a mammoth new round of economic stimulus measures to kick-start its ravaged economy, though analysts say that this time around the rebound is unlikely to be as strong after the first bout of Covid and the impact on consumer spending may be longer lasting. 

Public policy makers and health officials in countries across East Asia are cautiously optimistic that their tourism economies will begin to recover in 2022. Casino operators in particular are hoping for a resumption of international travel.

Genting Singapore's revenue is likely to continue to be affected by China's zero-Covid policy in 2022, even as the island nation reopens to international travel, Nomura Research wrote.

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the global Covid pandemic, governments around Asia are finally beginning to take tentative steps to open their borders.

Macau and Mainland China remain the only regions in Asia-Pacific sticking to their Zero-Covid policy.

Alidad Tash, Managing Director of 2NT8 Limited believes the time is now ripe for policy changes, particularly when it comes to the Macau Zero-Covid policy.

Macau health authorities have confirmed they will maintain a “zero-covid” policy until vaccination rates in the city reach 80 to 90 percent.