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Rivers Casino Philadelphia will close on Friday, Nov. 20, and not reopen until at least Jan. 1, 2021, as a result of a series of changes to the current restrictions by the City of Philadelphia to slow the surge of coronavirus cases.
UPDATE: Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem is now closed for two weeks. Four of Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos- three in or around Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh - have closed temporarily over. Casinos in Pennsylvania are once again closing due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases. All PA casinos will be closed from Dec. 4, and possibly longer. PlayPennsylvania will continue to provide updates on Pennsylvania casino closures and eventual reopenings as information becomes available.
Also, fans may no longer attend games at Lincoln Financial Field. Under the “Safer at Home” order, gatherings cannot exceed 2,000 people in any outdoor space.
“We may be tired of COVID, but COVID’s not tired of us,” said Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley.
New restrictions for Philadelphia
In a press release that detailed the new “Safer at Home” restrictions,casinos fall under the category of “business and activities that are not allowed.”
Boyd Gaming Closes Pennsylvania Casino for Two Weeks, Blames COVID-19. Posted on: March 13, 2020, 01:15h. Last updated on: March 16, 2020, 11:38h. No more indoor dining, casinos and theaters will close and new limits on retailers: Pa. Tom Wolf Updated Dec 10, 2020; Posted Dec 10, 2020 Facebook Share. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The six state casinos still open, including The Meadows and Lady Luck Nemacolin, were ordered to close amid the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Gaming.
Currently, Rivers Casino Philadelphia is the only casino within Philadelphia city limits. Live! Casino Philadelphia is scheduled to open in early 2021. The South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook, according to the orders, will also have to temporarily close.
During a Monday afternoon press conference, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney pointed out that the average number of reported COVID-19 positive cases has jumped at least 700% in less than two months. The average number of new cases reported per day last week was higher than the number of reported cases during the worst week in April.
“Strains on our hospitals are already showing,” said Kenney, who added that hospitalizations have jumped 600% in the last seven weeks.
“We do not take any of this lightly. Believe me, more than anything in the world, I wish none of this was necessary. But there is no doubt these changes are necessary. We need to act now to reduce the rate of increase and flatten the curve once again.”
The City of Philadelphia reported 2,564 new coronavirus cases and eight new deaths on Monday.
Rivers Philadelphia road to reopening
Rivers Casino Philadelphia voluntarily closed in March when the coronavirus pandemic hit Pennsylvania. It remained shuttered for four months and reopened on July 17. That marked the longest coronavirus-caused closure of any brick-and-mortar casino in PA.
Upon reopening, all casinos in PA followed health and safety guidelines from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
In addition, Rivers Casino Philadelphia conducted temperature checks, operated at 25% capacity (50% was the limit at other casinos) and upgraded its HVAC system to include airPHX, a patented technology that continuously disinfects indoor air and eliminates coronavirus on surfaces. The casino also has AtmosAir, an indoor air quality purification system that has proven to neutralize coronavirus by more than 99.9%.
Will other casinos in PA close again too?
On Friday, Play Pennsylvaniaasked the PA Department of Health if the rising numbers meant a return to the color-coded phases and possible temporary closures for casinos in Pennsylvania.
A representative responded:
“There is no plan at this time to return to the red, yellow, green mitigation steps and stay-at-home order that occurred in the spring.”
During Monday’s press conference, Farley urged surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to join Philadelphia in enacting similar measures.
The closest casinos to Philadelphia (with Rivers closed) include:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia (Delaware County)
- Valley Forge Casino (Montgomery County)
- Parx Casino (Bucks County)
Atlantic City is about an hour drive from Philadelphia.
Fans barred from the Linc again
In mid-October, the Philadelphia Eagles got the green light to allow fans back at Lincoln Financial Field. The stadium occupancy was 7,500 people, which included players, coaches, team and stadium personnel. It allowed for 5,500 to 6,000 fans to be in attendance.
Mayor Kenney said the new orders will be in effect until “at least January 1.” The Eagles’ last home game is Jan. 3 against the Washington Football Team.
Note: This is a developing story and will be updated as additional information is released.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Rich Schultz
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf issued an order late Thursday ordering all casinos closed once again until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.
The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12.
Also ordered shut were all 40 truck stop video gaming terminallocations. They are shuttered on the same schedule as casinos.
For now, there does not appear to be a plan to shut down horse racing.
Rivers already closed due to orders from Philly Health Department
Rivers Casino Philadelphia already closed on Nov. 20 on orders from the City of Philadelphia.
All casinos were initially ordered closed in March due to the virus. They had a phased reopening after being closed for months.
Are Pa Casinos Closing
Casinos newly reordered to close
The newly affected properties are:
- 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
Live! near Pittsburgh had just debuted, ordered closed
The new Live! Pittsburgh had just opened its doors on Nov. 24. A sister facility, Live! Casino Philadelphia, is under construction with no announced opening date beyond “no later than the end of the first quarter of 2021.”
Pa Casinos Closings
Gaming officials aiding closure planning
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board announced Thursday that it is assisting in the shutdown procedures.
Executive Director Kevin O’Toole said public health and the safety of patrons, casino employees and others are of paramount importance. O’Toole said:
“The board is continuously monitoring developments and will update licensees and the public as frequently as possible with any new developments.”
The closures do not affect other forms of gaming regulated by the Gaming Control Board offered via the internet, including online casino games, sports betting and daily fantasy contests.
PA Casino response, messages to employees and patrons
Harrah’s Philadelphia put out a memo to team members on Thursday assuring them that they all will continue to earn pay and benefits through the closure period. Pay during the period is based on average wages over the previous eight weeks.
Frank Leone, COO and general manager of Mount Airy Casino Resort, said in a presser that reservations through Jan. 3 can be cancelled without penalty. Patrons can call (877) 682-4791 for additional information. He also said:
“Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by this pandemic. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the property on January 4.”
PA horse tracks still running for now
According to the PA Department of Agriculture press secretary, Shannon Powers, tracks are currently not affected by the closure of casinos.
“Tracks open at this time of year are Parx, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Meadows and Penn National. The Mohegan Sun at Pocono and Presque Isle Downs are normally closed this time of year.”
Other activities ordered stopped or limited
Also, indoor dining will again be prohibited. Outdoor dining, takeout food service and takeout alcohol sales may continue.
Wolf ordered outdoor gatherings and events of more than 50 people to cease.
In-person businesses that serve the public may operate at 50% of maximum capacity — except if limited to a smaller capacity by existing orders.
Wolf, who himself tested positive for the virus but is asymptomatic, also ordered the closure of indoor operations at gyms and fitness facilities and in-person indoor businesses in the entertainment industry. That includes movie theaters, museums, bowling alleys and others.
Sports for K-12 students and in-person extracurricular school activities must cease, but extracurricular activities may continue virtually.
Spectators cannot attend college sports events. Wolf said the continuation of college sports might continue per federal and state health directives.
The new restrictions were announced the same day a vaccine was approved to immunize people against the virus, though the rollout is still to come.
Previous reopening procedures
COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols were part of the previous reopenings. They detailed minimum safety and health-related requirements that are mandatory before reopening.
The key points then were:
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- Casinos can reopen at 50% capacity.
- Employees and guests must wear masks.
- There are markings on the floor to promote social distancing.
- Mandatory enhanced cleaning is required throughout the facility.
Map Of Pennsylvania Casinos
At first, poker rooms were not authorized to operate following the first shutdown due to players’ handling of cards and chips.
Are Pa Casinos Closing
But by mid-November, five of the nine live poker rooms in PA had reopened.