A surge of COVID-19 cases has forced Ontario casinos to temporarily shut as Canada tries to control the latest Omicron variant. (Image by Geralt at pixabay.com )
The COVID-19 pandemic is once again causing havoc to economies around the world. The latest variant, Omicron, is now sweeping through many countries with Canada another to get hit hard.
As a result, the Canadian province, Ontario, is taking a step back into a modified version of the step2 reopening plan, as has been announced by Doug Ford, the provincial premier of the province.
Casinos are not the only businesses to be hit with the devastating news, as other indoor businesses such as museums, gyms, and restaurants will feel the pinch. Schools will go back into a remote learning environment until at least 17th January, they have announced.
The introduction of these new rules will come into effect beginning on 5th January, and there has been a provisional 3 week (21 days) minimum time scale put on the order, meaning that closures will be forced until at least 26th January.
Gateway Casino Staff Informed of New Measures
All staff were sent a memo regarding the latest news by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, which told of the new measures, and that all of its casinos in the province, which includes Casino Rama, will be temporarily suspended.
The memo went on to say that the most important thing during this difficult time is assuring the safety and the health of all employees, the community, and the customers. Gateway Casinos and Entertainment have vowed to work closely with both provincial and local governments, regulators, and health authorities to do all that is needed to prevent Covid-19 from spreading.
Galleries, zoos, museums, gyms, and festivals will close all facilities. Indoor facilities at bars and restaurants will be closed, however, takeout, outdoor dining, delivery, and drive-through will be permitted. A 50% maximum capacity will be enforced onto other indoor places, such as shopping centres, public libraries, and retail stores.
This news that Ontario casinos will temporarily shut will come as a huge blow to these establishments, as it will for all other businesses impacted by these new restrictions. These establishments have only just recently been allowed to get back to some kind of normality, but not all businesses will be fearing these closures. Online casinos around the world saw their revenues rocket throughout the last full lockdown. Land-based casinos have a high percentage of high rollers, and these players will now be looking at alternatives as a way to get their gaming entertainment, with the best online casinos only more than happy to take on the extra business.
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