Pennsylvania will attempt to mitigate COVID by closing casinos until 2021
With the announcement of additional COVID protective mitigation initiatives by Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, land-based casino gaming activities are going to be stopped until the following year across the entirety of the state of Pennsylvania.
The limited-time orders go into effect at 12:01 am on December 12 and will continue to remain in place until 8:00 am on January 4, 2021. Studies from Yale and Harvard are cited as evidence that the most recent initiatives taken by Pennsylvania are warranted.
In accordance with the order, gaming operations will be discontinued at the following locations: Harrah's Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Lady Luck Nemacolin, Live! Casino Pittsburgh, Meadows Casino and Racetrack, Mohegan Sun Pocono, Mount Airy Casino Resort, Parx Casino, Presque Isle Racetrack and Casino, Rivers Pittsburgh, Valley Forge Casino and Resort, Wind Creek Bethlehem, and Valley Forge Casino and Resort.
The City of Philadelphia had issued an order for the Rivers Casino Philadelphia to close on November 20, and the casino had already complied with that order.
According to Kevin O'Toole, executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the public's health and safety, as well as the health and safety of casino staff and other individuals, are of the utmost importance:
"The board is continually watching developments and will notify licensees and the public with any new developments as quickly as possible," he continued. "The board is continuously monitoring developments."
The all-encompassing measures prohibit a wide variety of activities throughout the region. These activities include all in-person dining that takes place indoors, indoor gatherings and events that involve more than ten people, outdoor gatherings and events that involve more than fifty people, and indoor activities that take place at gyms and fitness centers.
Casinos, theaters, concert venues, museums, movie theaters, arcades, bowling alleys, private clubs, and any other entertainment, recreational, or social facilities that are comparable in nature are not allowed to operate either. This includes, but is not limited to, all in-person businesses in the entertainment industry that serve the public within a building or indoor defined area.
In addition, in-person enterprises that serve the general public are only allowed to operate at up to fifty percent of the maximum capacity listed on the appropriate certificate of occupancy, with the exception of those firms that are restricted by existing orders to a lower capacity restriction.
"Today I am announcing further, temporary COVID-19 protective mitigation measures in the state," said Wolf. "These actions are intended to mitigate the impact of the virus." "With putting these safeguards in place, we anticipate being able to achieve the following three objectives: First and foremost, put a halt to the devastation caused by the COVID-19 virus in the commonwealth.
"Second, we need to prevent our hospitals and the people who work in healthcare from being overburdened. And last, make it easier for people in Pennsylvania to get through the holiday season safely and come one step closer to having a vaccination that is widely available. This is a gateway to a brighter future in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
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