Integrated resort Marina Bay Sands has reopened its casino after the venue was temporarily shut because of positive Covid-19 tests of two of its staff members.
The casino officially resumed operations as of 4:00 PM on May 19th, after it was shut for deep cleaning at the beginning of the week. A spokesperson for Marina Bay Sands responded to some queries from the Straits Times’, explaining that at the time, the operator also imposed a strict coronavirus testing regime for its staff members. As of the new regime, the routine testing for the casino venue’s employees, who are on the front line, has been held on a monthly basis since the beginning of April will now be executed every two weeks.
Marina Bay Sands revealed that the Covid-19 testing is set to involve about 5,600 employees. The casino operator announced that a further 3,000 employees, who are considered at a lower risk because of the scopes of their job, will be subject to monthly compulsory testing. Coronavirus testing is also provided as an option to the rest of the casino’s staff members who work from home.
The gambling company’s spokesperson said that the integrated casino resort is currently operating on reduced capacities and stricter safe management measures in line with the latest efforts of the Government to tackle the further spreading of the coronavirus infection.
Two Casino Employees Tested Positive for Covid-19 and Casino Closed for Deep Cleaning
The spokesperson of Marina Bay Sands further revealed that stricter safe management measures will also be applicable to staff areas as part of the efforts to reduce the inter-mingling of staff members. The employees who were close contacts of the two staff members who tested positive for the coronavirus infection have been placed in quarantine, or have been instructed to stay at home and monitor their health.
Both the casino staff members, who are currently dealers at the casino, were confirmed to be Covid-19 positive on May 16th. The first one, a 35-year-old individual originating from Singapore, had fallen sick on May 14th and later went for a checkup with their GP. At the time when the rostered routine testing on April 21st took place, the person was tested negative. The other employee of the casino, a 36-year-old Malaysian, who was a close contact of his, fell sick on the next day, May 15th.
As mentioned above, the popular integrated resort complies with the coronavirus restrictions implemented by the country’s Government. As part of the precautionary measures, the casino venue is working at reduced capacity, with strict social distancing measures also implemented. Slot machines and other electronic gaming machines are being placed at least 1m apart from each other, and each gaming table is allowed to host no more than two players.
Casino employees, especially the ones who face patrons, are required to wear protective masks and sanitize their hands. High-touch casino areas and equipment are also required to be cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis.
