New York casinos set to reopen next week. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has made an announcement that the state’s casinos will be allowed to reopen next week, after having been closed for almost six months due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The state’s casinos, which closed their doors on 16 March due to Covid-19, will reopen from Wednesday 9 September, subject to strict safety protocols. The order applies to the state’s four commercial casinos and racetrack casinos.
All locations will be limited to 25 percent occupancy, and patrons will be forced to wear masks at all times except while eating or drinking – without the gaming floor providing any beverage or food service.
Initially, only slots will be permitted if they are at least six feet between machines and table games will only be permitted once physical barriers are put in place and approved by the New York Gaming Association.
The state regulator will also be deployed to monitor properties, and ensure all safety measures are followed to the letter. Casinos will additionally be required to have enhanced air filtration, ventilation and purification standards in place before they are permitted to reopen.
“New Yorkers have done an extraordinary job – we flattened the curve in a way that no expert thought was possible,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ve made the determination that we can safely reopen casinos with enhanced air filtration and strict safety protocols including mandatory masks and social distancing.
“This is good news and the right next step in our data-driven, phased reopening which is working.”
[image: Joshua Earle]
