Macau closed all its casinos for the first time in more than two years on Monday after a coronavirus outbreak in the world’s biggest gambling hub.

Authorities have ordered non-essential businesses, which includes over 30 casinos, to shut for a week.

The city has recorded 1,526 Covid cases since the middle of June according to official figures.

More than 30 zones have been deemed high risk and have been locked down, with no one allowed to enter or exit for at least five days.

Many casinos had already been operating with minimal staffing for the past three weeks, but this is the first time they have been completely closed since February 2020.

Gaming shares slipped on Monday over concerns of tougher rules in the Chinese special administrative region.

Around 19,000 people have been put in mandatory quarantine as the city tackles its worse Covid-19 outbreak since early 2020.

Schools and entertainment venues, including bars and cinemas, had already been closed under earlier guidelines.

“The latest step is in order to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the community,” the bureau said in a statement on Saturday.

It has also instructed people to stay at home, and stopped dining-in services at restaurants.