Marina Bay Sands in Singapore shuts down for 15 days

The Marina Bay Sands casino in Singapore will shut for two weeks. The measure was taken after authorities detected a Covid cluster, a fraction of the 179 cases detected on Wednesday, which emerged at a fishery port that pushed the government to reimpose social restrictions. 

"As a precautionary measure, we will be closing our Casino temporarily from 22 July - 5 August to facilitate deep cleaning. We will update once a specific re-opening time is confirmed", announced the Marina Bay Sands official website. "The rest of the property will continue to operate based on prevailing guidelines".

“To date, we have detected 11 cases linked to the cluster, and our epidemiological investigations have found that there is likely ongoing transmission at the casino,” the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday night in its daily COVID-19 report. MOH is conducting special testing operations for all staff of the casino and will also extend free COVID-19 testing to members of the public who had visited the casino between 7 July and Wednesday.

"All visitors must use the TraceTogether app or Token when they enter the property and before accessing various venues and attractions. Guests are reminded to wear masks at all times, observe the one-metre social distancing rule, and not congregate in groups of more than two persons. Our friendly Safe Distancing Ambassadors will be roving around the property to remind guests of these measures", as written in the Casino's website. 

The new outbreak’s epicenter was a fishery port, and the resurgence in infections was found in food markets, karaoke clubs and now one of two casinos in Singapore. 

The country’s Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung, said the fishery cluster prompted it to reimpose stricter measures including a ban on dining-in and limiting social interactions.