The threat of viral pneumonia in central China is forcing Macau casinos to take body temperature measurements at the entrance to the gaming rooms, with the support of the city authorities.
Macau’s six gaming concessionaires have been using handheld thermometers to measure casino entry measurements since Sunday, when the Macau Government raised the emergency warning level to level III (severe) in response to the outbreak of viral pneumonia in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
“At the same time, additional equipment was purchased” and, “due to the need to acquire a large amount of body temperature measuring equipment in a short time,” the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ), in collaboration with Health Services, “expressed support for gaming operators in the acquisition and procurement of equipment quickly,” says the statement.
Macau law sets five alert levels, the first being “especially severe” and the fifth “normal”. Alert level three is a degree of risk considered serious that requires closer monitoring.
The Government has activated the interdepartmental operation mechanism to allow the strengthening of prevention and coordination actions among various public services, such as Health, Education, Tourism, Social Action Institute, Municipal Affairs Institute, Police, Fire and Customs.
By Thursday, Macao Health Services had tightened temperature control for all passengers on the two daily air links between the territory and Wuhan.
On Friday, the number of people infected with viral pneumonia in the Chinese city of Wuhan had risen from 27, recorded on December 31, to 44. Last Sunday, the number of those infected rose to 59.
