Monthly Archives: February 2021

The Macau SAR government efforts to control the pandemic to recover the local economy, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng announced in his annual Chinese New Year message.

In the new year, the Macau SAR Government will continue to work hand in hand with all sectors of society to advance in adversity. We will firmly coordinate actions to prevent and control the pandemic and those of economic and social recovery, and make efforts to accelerate the development of adequate diversification of the economy, Ho noted.

Macau society has faced difficulties, united and in solidarity, and the socio-economic situation remains generally stable

The city is preparing to the Year of the Ox after a Year of the Rat marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact in the local economy.

After a steady period of plunging visitor numbers gaming revenue, the local economy has shown signs of recovery, but with community outbreaks in some mainland China provinces prompting authorities to lower expectations for the Lunar New Year holiday period.

Gambling revenue increased by 3 per cent in January from the previous month to some MOP22.1 billionand financial report published by gaming operators for the last quarter of 2020 have so far showed a return to operational profits.

Visitor arrivals surged by 150 per cent from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2020, however despite a 30,000 per day average spike in the Christmas and NYE period, visitor arrival numbers are trending at about 20,000 per day, a number set to remain unchanged during the CNY period between February 11 and 17 and with hotel bookings trending at only 30 per cent.

Still, the start of the local vaccination plan on January 9 first for priority groups and later to the general population has brought hopes that as local immunization rates grow, the local economy will be able to gradually recover.

In his CNY message, Ho also thanked all frontline workers, namely health professionals, police officers, firefighters and the public administration workers team, as expressed sincere thanks to all the personalities of the different social sectors and to the residents of Macau for their efforts during last year.

The Year of the Rat says goodbye, taking winter with him, and the Year of the Buffalo comes with Spring. In this happy, peaceful and beautiful time, I want, on behalf of the Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region, to send my best wishes for a good Chinese New Year to all residents, Ho expressed

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Pandemic control and economic recovery efforts to continue in the Year of the Ox - CE - Macau Business

In his annual new year message, welcoming the Year of the Ox, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng emphasized the need to accelerate Macaus economic diversification for a quicker post-pandemic recovery.

In his message, delivered today [Thursday] at the end of the Year of the Rat, the CE said that, with the help of the Macau community, the government would devote unrelenting effort to epidemic prevention and control, and speed up the task of economic recovery. He added that to achieve such goals, the government would additionally dedicate utmost efforts to accelerating adequate economic diversification, and to enhancing incessantly governance capabilities, to serve the public, while also advancing projects relating to peoples livelihoods.

Ho noted that the past year was arduous, with the Covid-19 pandemic having serious effects globally and locally in terms of the economy and peoples day-to-day lives; a fact that was also reflected in the governments work.

Expressing gratitude for the support from the Central Government, and the collective efforts of the local community, and the frontline workers, Ho remarked that Macau had been able to tackle the pandemic effects in a good manner, maintaining its socio-economic stability. He wished the whole community a joyful, healthy and prosperous Year of the Ox.

Last but not least, the CE extended his gratitude to all those working in the private and public sectors, who will continue to work over the new year holiday period so as to keep all essential services operating during this season.

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CE New Year Message: Accelerate economic diversification to speed post-pandemic recovery - Macau Daily Times

The entirety of the South Extension Building project at Macau International Airport (MIA) is estimated to be completed in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021, the Macau International Airport Co. Ltd. (CAM) said in a statement yesterday.

The construction works on the main structure of the South Extension Building has been recently completed, bringing the work completion progress to more than 40%. Except for the external structure, the constructions of facade system and interior partition, and installation of pipework, ductwork as well as MEP equipment have been ongoing accordingly.

The three-storey South Extension Building with a total area of over 18,000 square metres will comprise of an immigration hall, departure lounge, commercial area, offices, prayer room, entertainment room and conference rooms.

Three additional boarding bridges will also be provided, therefore, a total of eight boarding bridges will be in operation upon completion of the project to satisfy the future passenger volume.

As the project will be completed in Q4, the annual passenger handling capacity of MIA will be expected to increase significantly from 7.8 million to 10 million.

Back in 2018, the company has announced plans to launch the project in early 2019. LV

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South extension project of airport to be completed in Q4 - Macau Daily Times

Thea Fischer of the WHO team arrives at the VIP terminal of the airport to leave at the end of the mission in Wuhan

A World Health Organization team left China yesterday after gaining some new insights into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic that has now killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide but with the major questions still unanswered.The visit was politically sensitive for China which is concerned about any allegations it didnt handle the initial outbreak properly and has been closely watched around the world.Team member Peter Daszak sounded an upbeat note on arriving at the airport at the end of the four-week trip to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first COVID-19 cases were detected in December 2019.We have clear leads on what the next steps should be, he said. We know a lot more after the work thats been done.The teams major conclusions seemed to confirm what most researchers had already surmised about the virus. The visit was never expected to definitively pinpoint the origin of the pandemic an undertaking that, based on others, could take years.Heres a look at the theories the team explored during their visit:

THE BATSThe mission to Wuhan did not change a major theory about where the virus came from. Scientists think bats are the most likely carriers, and that they passed it on to another animal, which passed it on to humans. While there are other possibilities a bat could have infected a human directly, for instance the path through a second animal remains the most likely scenario, according to the WHO team and its Chinese counterparts. The question is what animal and where.

THE MARKETThe Huanan Seafood Market, which had a cluster of cases at the start of the outbreak, has long been suggested as a possible place humans first became infected. The market dealt mainly in frozen seafood but also sold domesticated wildlife. That included rabbits, which are known to be susceptible to the virus, and bamboo rats and ferret badgers, which are suspected of being susceptible. At the WHO missions closing news conference Tuesday, one team member said some of these animals have been traced to farms or traders in regions that are home to bats that carry the virus that is the closest known relative of the one that causes COVID-19.That finding could put renewed focus on the market. Chinese health officials have downplayed the markets role, noting that only surfaces at the market tested positive for the virus, not any of the animal products. A Chinese official said Tuesday that it appears there were cases elsewhere in Wuhan around the same time as the market cluster, so it remains possible the transfer of the virus from animals to humans happened elsewhere.

THE LABThe conclusion of the Chinese and international experts was that it is extremely unlikely the virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a lab with an extensive collection of virus samples. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and officials in his administration were among those who floated that possibility prompting angry denials from China. And most experts have long been skeptical of it.In making its determination, the team said that such leaks are extremely rare and theres no evidence the virus existed in that lab or any lab anywhere in the world when the pandemic began. It also reviewed safety protocols at the institute, leading the team to conclude it was very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place, WHO team leader Peter Ben Embarek said.

THE COLD CHAINThe joint investigation left open the possibility that the virus could have been spread to humans through frozen food products, a bit of a surprise as foreign experts have generally played down the risk.Its a theory that has been widely promoted by Chinese officials, who have detected the virus on imported frozen food packaging and seized on that to suggest the virus could have come to China from abroad.WHO team member Marion Koopmans noted that it still wouldnt answer the question of where the virus came from originally. Its not the cold chain by itself, that cannot be, she said at the airport. The virus has to come from somewhere.

THE DATAThe mission has been dogged by questions about how much freedom China would give the researchers to visit the places and talk to the people they wanted to. In the end, they appeared satisfied with the arrangements, at least in their public comments. Team member Thea Koelsen Fischer said she did not get to see raw data and had to rely on an analysis of the data that was presented to her. But she said that would be true in most countries. MDT/AP

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Explainer | What the WHO coronavirus experts learned in Wuhan - Macau Daily Times

Acting Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett (right) leads Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead Democratic House impeachment manager, and other impeachment managers, walk through the Rotunda to the Senate for the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump

House Democrats will begin two days of arguments in Donald Trumps second impeachment trial, trying to convince skeptical Republicans that the former president alone was responsible for inciting his mob of supporters who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and interrupted the presidential electoral count.The arguments today [Macau time] from the nine Democratic impeachment managers for the House, which impeached Trump last month, will come a day after the Senate voted to move ahead with the trial even though Republicans and Trumps lawyers argued that it was unconstitutional because Trump had already left office. All Democrats and six Republicans disagreed, arguing that there is legal precedent for the trial and that there should be no exceptions for impeachable behavior in a presidents last months in office.While Democrats won yesterdays vote, it also signaled that they will not likely have the votes for an eventual conviction, since they would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them. Democrats say they know they are arguing the case uphill, but they are holding out hope that they will convert more Republicans by the final vote.What to watch as the Democrats prosecute their case for incitement of insurrection:

DEVASTATING CASE AGAINST TRUMPThe Democrats are trying to take advantage of senators own experiences, tapping into their emotions as they describe in detail and show on video what happened as the mob broke through police barriers, injured law enforcement officers, ransacked the Capitol and hunted for lawmakers. Democratic aides working on the impeachment team said that they think they have a devastating case against the former president, and that they will prosecute it like a criminal trial.Yesterday [Macau time], as they argued that the trial was constitutional, they strayed from their arcane arguments about historic precedent and the Federalist Papers to show a video that took senators through a visceral, graphic timeline of Jan. 6, starting with Trumps speech to supporters in which he told them to fight like hell to overturn his defeat. It juxtaposed Trumps words with what was happening inside and outside the building as supporters broke in, showing violence and jeers aimed at police and lawmakers. The carnage led to five deaths.Similar video evidence is expected today, as they begin arguments on the merits of the case including some that hasnt been seen before, according to the aides, who requested anonymity to discuss the managers plans.

TRUMPS TEAM GETS A REDOTrumps lawyers had a bad day yesterday, as Trump fumed at their performance and GOP senators leaving the trial criticized their arguments as random, disorganized and perplexing. Trump felt that the team, especially lead lawyer Bruce Castor, came off badly on television and looked weak compared to the Democratic prosecutors, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.On Friday, they will get another chance, starting what is likely to be two days of arguments that last into the weekend. They plan to argue that Trump did not incite the violence, that rioters acted of their own accord and that the former president is protected by freedom of speech.While the Democrats have appealed to the senators emotions, Trumps lawyers have tried to tap into raw partisan anger. David Schoen, who spoke after Castor, criticized statements from Democrats that he said were also inciting violence, and told the chamber that the Democratic prosecutors are fueled by a hatred of Trump and fear that they will lose power.

REPUBLICANS TO WATCHSix Republican senators voted with Democrats not to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds. Those senators so far appear the most likely to vote to convict Trump.The six senators, most of whom have harshly criticized the presidents behavior, are Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.Cassidy was the only one who did not side with Democrats in a similar vote two weeks ago. He said after the vote that he thought Democrats had a better argument and that Trumps team had done a terrible job. He said he will watch the additional arguments as an impartial juror and then decide whether to convict.Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who voted to dismiss the trial, is retiring in 2022 and has also said he has an open mind about conviction. MARY CLARE JALONICK, WASHINGTON, AP

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USA | What to Watch: Democrats to argue Trump alone incited mob - Macau Daily Times

Macaus gross gaming revenue (GGR) contracted in the first week of February compared with the same period in January 2021, driven by the continual pressure stirred up by recent Covid-19 outbreaks in China, according to a statement recently published by Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd, as cited in GGRAsia.The investment research and institutional asset management company forecasts MOP1.5 billion in GGR, equivalent to USD187.8 million, during the first week of February.This translates to a month-to-date average daily rate (ADR) of MOP215 million, down 17% and 76% from ADR MOP259 million and ADR MOP906 million in the same period in January 2021 and February 2019, respectively.The brokerage also attributed the month-to-month GGR downtrend to the typical slowdown in the week before the Spring Festival.The travel advisory issued by the municipals government in China impelling people to stay put during Lunar New Year has had a dispiriting effect on reported travel intention among mainland travelers, further impeding GGR performance in the first week of February.Analysts at Bernstein is expecting reduced visitation into Macau for at least the next few weeks, as some mainland travelers have postponed their original trips during the holiday period to after the holiday.Despite the brokerages forecast, some chiefs of Macaus casino conglomerates have still been sanguine about business during Chinese New Year (CNY).President of Sands China Ltd Wilfred Wong was among them. He stated in the opening ceremony of The Londoner Macao on February 8 that the group has high expectations regarding tourist arrivals in CNY.Despite the travel entreaty, we believe there will still be a lot of tourists [visiting Macau] from Guangdong Province. But still, tourist arrivals will come down to how many Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) permits will be approved for the holiday, he added.Echoing Bernsteins projection, Wong is anticipating a slight delay in the peaks of hotel room bookings to periods beyond CNY. Prior to the pandemic, spikes in occupancy had habitually fallen within the first three days of the holiday.Wynn Macau Ltd president and executive director Ian Coughlan also delivered his view about CNY on an earnings call on February 4, saying that the recent fall in Covid-19 case numbers in China, following some spikes in late-December and January, is very positive for the citys tourism sector.Coughlan said he is eyeing an occupancy rate on par with that of Golden Week in October last year.But certainly, [Covid-19 outbreaks in China have] affected bookings throughout town. So were probably looking at more like an October Golden Week situation than the Christmas and western New Year period, he said.He also believes the impact of recent outbreaks in China will be temporary, considering that the virus has been contained and vaccination has commenced.Wong stated earlier that Macaus vaccination rollout will help to increase travel confidence and propel the citys tourism industry forward.In Macau, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and other key authorities received their first dose of the inactivated vaccine, developed by Chinas state-owned pharmaceutical company Sinopharm Group, yesterday on February 9. The vaccination rollout for prioritized groups started yesterday. Vaccination for the general public will start on February 22.

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Gaming | Bernstein projects weaker revenue in first week of Feb - Macau Daily Times