With coronavirus expanding its reach globally, several high-traffic locations are trying to take steps to reduce the risk to customers. Atlantic City has now become one such area, as several casino operators are providing information as to how they will protect customers from Covid-19.
MGM Resorts International, who operates Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, issued a statement explaining, “We are proactively communicating with our employees on the guidance from the CDC regarding prevention. We have enhanced our cleaning protocols that include placing hand sanitizer dispensing station in high-traffic areas, reinforcing proactive cleaning and increasing the frequency of disinfectant procedures. We continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and are closely monitoring for updates.”
Added Tom Pohlman, Executive Vice President, and General Manager Golden Nugget Atlantic City, “We have taken proactive measures to help minimize customer concerns including, frequently sanitizing surfaces in high-traffic areas, adding hand sanitizers throughout the casino, encouraging good hygiene practices amongst our staff, requiring employees who have traveled to certain areas to stay home for 21 days before returning to work and following all other CDC recommended guidelines.”
All of the casinos are implementing procedures to try to reduce potential risks. Boardwalk Hall General Manager Jim McDonald told reporters that his staff is working extremely hard to keep the facility clean. “Our cleaning processes are very thorough, we’ll continue to do that as well as additional rounds of cleaning.” He added that 30,000 people will pass through the facility on a given weekend, making it necessary that they “follow directions from the experts and implement” their recommendations.
Borgata officials told local news outlets on March 5, “We have enhanced our cleaning protocols that include placing additional hand sanitizer dispensing stations in high-traffic areas, reinforcing proactive cleaning and increasing the frequency of disinfectant procedures.”
These measures come as the virus starts to rear its ugly head in the Garden State. On March 9, New Jersey officials reported that 11 cases of the COVID-19 virus had been confirmed, with five additional cases being added in the afternoon alone. There were 24 additional patients being monitored as potential cases.
Most notably, the head of New York and New Jersey’s Port Authority is one of the confirmed cases, and New York Governor Cuomo has hypothesized he may have contracted the virus at an airport.
Atlantic City is not the only area providing these kinds of measures. Las Vegas has been stepping up their cleaning efforts after the first case of the coronavirus was reported in southern Nevada. This led several casino operators to increase their disinfectant procedures, including adding hand sanitizers at gaming tables and washing down tables and bars on a more frequent basis.
