UPDATED STORY (3 April)
CHINA. All three downtown offshore duty free stores in Sanya have closed temporarily due to a small outbreak of COVID-19 in Hainan.
As reported, Sanya International Duty Free City, including CDF Mall, closed temporarily from 1pm yesterday (2 April) in line with epidemic prevention and control work, as first reported by New Hainan.
Both phases of the vast shopping to leisure complex in Haitang Bay, Sanya are closed, wrote New Hainan reporter Liu Liping.
The CNSC and Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex stores in Sanya also closed the same day.
Jason Cao of DutyFree Expert (DFE) Cao wrote: “Based on a combination of the high infectiousness of the Omicron variant, the rising trend of the pandemic outbreak in various provinces and Hainan, and existing domestic pandemic control policies, DFE believes that in the next one month at least, Hainan’s offshore duty free sector will face serious challenges.
“It is unlikely that the passenger flow during the May 1 Golden Week will return to the level of the same period last year.”
All three stores in Haikou, TimesDF (Shenzhen Duty Free Group and DFS) at Mission Hills and GDF Plaza and CDF in Mova Mall remain open for now.
The authorities in Haikou are carrying out regional nucleic acid testing today (3 April), which may become an important step in controlling the outbreak, according to our colleagues at New Hainan parent company Hainan Hinews, The Moodie Davitt Report’s strategic partner in Hainan province.
Hainan Hinews reports that there were 24 COVID-19 cases in Hainan on 2 April.
This is the second temporary closure of the Haitang Bay operation in recent weeks as China battles to contain a near nationwide outbreak related to the Omicron variant. As reported, it was closed on 3 March after a family from Tianjin were diagnosed with COVID-19 in Sanya.
It was subsequently reopened on 8 March after a full epidemic prevention programme had been implemented by China Duty Free Group, including the disinfecting and sterilisation of the entire shopping mall.
China Duty Free Group said that it will make every effort to assist affected customers and provide information updates due to flight cancellations and changes. Customers can find information and services online 24 hours a day with cdf Hainan Duty Free and the cdf Hainan membership programme.
HAINAN CURATED BOILERPLATE
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