We (Government of Macau) appeal to the public not to go out unless it's absolutely necessary. That's the best prevention (against the COVID-19). We h… - Ho Iat Seng

When SARS hit (the Southern China region) 17 years ago (in 2002-2003), Macau was lucky enough that it recorded only one imported case. But now, the viral pneumonia coincides with the peak domestic travel season for Chinese New Year across China. That huge passenger traffic means the disease could be spread to each of the Chinese province.

So (due to COVID-19 outbreak and the closure of casinos) this year (2020)'s economy will be in the red for sure. Income in other sectors will be very little in terms of taxes, plus we (Government of Macau) are preparing for tax relief measures as support measure for people at this difficult time, and the forecast for the economy is that it will be in the red, so be prepared. No flower can bloom for a hundred days. It was necessary to prepare for adverse situations, and it was time to use the government's financial reserves to support the "fragile" economy.

We (Government of Macau) don't know if this is the peak of the (COVID-19) disease. I think it could be only after Lunar New Year (CNY) because now people are moving a lot. If there is contagion it is now, during these travels, but maybe the most critical time could be registered after the CNY. That's why we took the hard decision to cancel CNY festivities, to prevent further aggravation of the disease.