Macau’s chief executive Ho Iat Seng expects May 1 Golden Week visitor numbers to likely be impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak in Guangzhou.
Ho was speaking at a plenary session of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, answering various questions about government policy and social issues.
Earlier this week, Guangzhou announced a tightening of Covid restrictions after reporting 27 new cases on Monday, up from 11 cases a day earlier.
Guangzhou has halted most arrivals into the city and has only granted leave to residents for essential reasons. They would also be required to give a negative virus test prior to traveling.
The halt has already significantly impacted the number of tourists to Macau.
According to local media reports, Ho noted that the total number of IVS issued this year by mainland China has already reached 65 percent of the numbers seen in 2019 – reflecting that tourists were willing to come, but are challenged due to outbreaks in surrounding regions.
