More bad news coming in the casino industry, and this time it’s the Philippines that’s on the list. Namely, all casinos in this country have been closed due to the coronavirus, and it seems that their closure period could be extended further.
All gaming processes in the country were stopped on March 15 as a measure to combat COVID-19. By order of President Rodrigo Duterte, which was issued on March 12, law enforcement was even given the authorization to shoot anyone who doesn’t respect the quarantine policies (but many believe that this was hyperbole, including the police chief of the country).
Nevertheless, casinos were no exception to the rule, meaning they had to shut down their operations and close their doors until further notice. The lockdown was expected to end on April 12, but it seems that Duterte is about to extend this period for a couple of weeks. This will continue to negatively impact the developed casino industry in the country, which hasn’t been operating for almost a month.
Right now, the office of President Duterte is monitoring the situation and reviewing the fact related to the coronavirus. According to his office, they will reach the decision very soon whether the lockdown will extend for an additional two weeks or not.
The quarantine area was initially just supposed to be for the Manila region. However, it was later extended to cover Luzon as well, which is the principal island of the country.
Apart from the gaming activity in these areas, all air, sea, and land transport has been stopped. All gambling venues that were controlled by the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corp (PAGCOR) had to shut their doors.
Not The Only Area in The World to Extend the Shutdown
Since COVID-19 has been taking its toll on a global level, many other countries went into full lockdown. The majority still allow people to move freely, but casinos around the globe all put a lock on their doors.
The Philippines would not be the first country to consider extending the timeframe available for casino shutdown, as some US states have already done that, including Nevada and New Jersey.
The spokesperson for Duterte’s office, Salvador Panelo, stated that lifting the ban could result in wiping the “gains (we have) achieved so far in containing the virus.” He further added that the president had been listening to experts’ opinions and that he was evaluating “the best option to take” that would result in the most effective way to combat the “wily and faceless global enemy.”
The Philippines recorded 3,246 cases of the coronavirus so far, with the death toll being 152. Naturally, these numbers change by the day, so by the time you’re reading this text, there might be even more cases.
Some of the lawmakers in the country are supporting the decision to keep the suspension for a couple of weeks more to “flatten the curve” even more.
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