Atlantic City’s casinos can reopen from July 2nd – but at 25% capacity, and with all occupants wearing masks, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said on Monday.
He added on Twitter that indoor dining can resume on that date, with restaurants also operating at 25% capacity, while racetracks can resume operations on the same date.
New Jersey casino patrons and staff will all have to wear face masks and undergo some level of health screening. “If any visitor refuses to comply with these simple safeguards, you will be escorted out of the casino,” the governor said. “We are not going to tolerate any knuckleheads trying to ruin it for those who want to enjoy themselves responsibly and those who need to get back to work, especially if those knuckleheads could be spreading Covid.”
Murphy added that further health and safety guidelines would be forthcoming in the following days for the city’s casinos and restaurants.
Delighted
“We’re delighted to get the reopening date,” said Joe Lupo, president of the hard Rock casino. “We thank the governor that we’ll be able to be open for the July 4th weekend to meet the demand on the world-famous Atlantic City Boardwalk.”
Lupo is confident that what Hard Rock was planning on its own will meet – and probably exceed – whatever standards the state imposes, he told Associated Press.
“Our air filtration is better than most hospitals,” he said.
“With 85% of our customers being rated, we can provide details on when the played, for how long, which beverage servers were in the vicinity, which room they stayed in, where they ate,” he said, so the casino could be a useful ally in any subsequent track-and-trace setup.
Image: Christian Hinkle/Adobe Stock
