South China's Macao will close non-essential commercial and industrial businesses, including casinos, for a week starting from Monday, in order to contain a recent COVID-19 surge caused by the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the city.

The new measure came after the city reported 71 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total number to 1,374 since mid-June. Currently, more than 17,000 people are in quarantine in the city, according to local authorities.

Industries and services essential for the normal functioning of the city and people's daily life, such as hotels, supermarkets and pharmacies will keep operating, while entertainment venues like cinemas, beauty salons, bars and public swimming pools will all be shut, according to a statement published on the official website of the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Restaurants can only provide take-out services.

The government called on residents to reduce unnecessary activities to minimize the infection risk.

Over 90 percent of Macao's residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.