SkyCity recently announced that its Hamilton casino property would be temporarily closed following the issuing of a level 3 novel Covid-19 alert by the New Zealand government on October 3.
The alert covers parts of the Waikato region, including the Hamilton CBD, after the discovery of two new cases of Covid-19. The five-day lockdown began at 11:59 pm on October 3.
Fortunately for the operator, its Queenstown property remains open, subject to conditions stipulated by the level 2 alert that is currently active in the area.
This has been a year of mixed fortunes for SkyCity as in August, it was compelled to temporarily close its Hamilton, Auckland and Queensland venues due to Covid-19 measures enforced at the time. Over this period, SkyCity recorded a 17.6% decrease in revenue for its 2020-2021 financial year.
Delta Threat
The government of New Zealand recently reported that the Delta Covid variant has spread beyond the borders of Auckland which has been under lockdown since mid-August.
In a public address on October 3, the country’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, assured the nation that the government was doing its best to ensure that the spread of the virus is kept in check.
“We are doing everything that we can to keep cases confined to Auckland and managing them there, “she said.
Arden added that strict lockdowns would be suspended once 90% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, a significant increase from the country’s current 46% vaccination rate.
From 1 November, full vaccination will become an entry requirement for any non-New Zealand citizens seeking to visit the country, according to Chris Hipkins, the Covid-19 response minister.
