After being closed for two months due to the coronavirus outbreak, casinos in San Diego, California are ready to get back to work. Several casinos in the area are preparing to reopen while local leaders are still urging caution.
Moving Forward
The Viejas Casino and Resort is going to reopen today with staff and visitors required to follow new guidelines and protocols for safety to avoid the spread of the virus. One rule set by the casino is that everyone must be scanned for a temperature before entering the facility. A non-contact temporal scan will be used to detect temperature.
The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians operate the casino and plan to close each day from 3 am to 7am to sterilize and deep clean the property. Players will be required to wear masks while on-site and practice social distancing measures.
Other properties plan on opening this week as well. On May 20th, the Sycuan Casino Resort will be opening back up. The Jamul Casino will open one day after along with the Valley View Casino & Hotel on the 22nd.
Local Officials Feel It’s Too Early to Reopen
As these casinos prepare to reopen this month, local leaders in the San Diego area are concerned. Many feel that right now is too early to reopen, especially as other industries are closed during the pandemic. Just last week, health officials working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop gambling companies from reopening before they feel it is safe.
According to Dr. Wilma Wooten, a Public Health Officer, opening up casinos too soon will result in a risk to public health. Officials in the health sector want to make it clear that they are not in agreement with casinos opening at this time.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom is on the same page. Just last week, the governor sent a letter to tribal chiefs in San Diego hoping that they would reconsider reopening their properties meet the criteria of Phase 3 for reopening.
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