Having suspended operations due to the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 in the region as well as around the globe, China’s lottery is now set to resume in its capital city of Beijing as efforts to slow the spread of the Coronavirus appear to have been effective.
Announced late last week by the Beijing Sports Lottery and Beijing Welfare Lottery, lottery sales are now set to resume in the capital on May 6 which would mark the end of a near four month sales suspension that began on January 22.
Initially halted with a view to only last through the Lunar New Year holiday period, the lottery sale suspension was then extended following the revelation of the full impact result from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite lottery sales in other Chinese provinces, such as in Hubei, resuming on a limited basis in mid-March and April, leadership within the Asian country remained hesitant in restarting lottery operations in Beijing due to its vast population of 20m inhabitants.
However, improvements regarding COVID control in the region have now opened up the opportunity for Beijing to resume lottery sales, with officials having begun prepping the city’s retailers last week with new requirements in order to qualify for a return to practice.
These requirements include disinfection routines, limiting the number of customers able to enter shops, taking the temperatures of those who do and guiding customers through ‘non-contact’ sales processes.
In addition to this, Beijing lottery retailers are also being requested to sign a ‘Beijing Sports Lottery physical store resumption epidemic commitment letter,’ with the understanding that consequences will be faced by any retailer found to be in breach of these new health and safety conditions.
Moreover, as reported by CalvinAyre, it has also been revealed that lottery officials have planned to offer retailers an unspecified ‘subsidy’ in the next two months in an attempt to partially offset the financial difficulties faced during the period of inactivity.
