Illinois Will Remove Mask Mandate At Casinos Soon, But Will It Last?
The announcement should have IL casinos across the state jumping for joy as the lack of masks in their businesses should only draw in more people. The changes are effective Monday.
Just schools with grades school to 12 may still need masks, as well as public transportation and other high-risk areas like healthcare facilities.
Here & rsquo is a look back at the challenges casinos faced in trying to operate at full capacity while dealing with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
Illinois experiences its second closing
Pritzker announced the closure of casinos and video gaming terminals( VGTs ) in November 2020. During this time, movie theaters and domestic recreation facilities were also compelled to shut their doors. Power restrictions were imposed on retail stores.
This followed games that had been closed since COVID cases first started appearing in the United States in March 2020 and had only recently reopened in July 2020. Depending on the region of Illinois they & rsquo, casinos operated at either 25 % or 50 % capacity while they were open.
However, after the hot months of 2020 passed, cases started to spike once more in November, prompting Pritzker to order games to lock their doors and turn off their lights.
Games start to reopen.
According to their COVID – 19 positivity rates, some regions could move from & lsquo, Tier 3 and racial status, according to Pritzker’s announcement in January 2021. A place was given a higher grade if it had fewer COVID – 19 cases and was permitted to open public spaces more freely than it would have under lower levels.
Three casinos were able to reopen as a result of the Par-A-Dice Casino in Joliet, Harrah & rsquo, s Metropolis in Southern Illinois, and Jumer & RSquo’s Casino and Hotel in Northwestern Illinois. Bally & rsquo, s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel, has since been renamed from Jumer & lsqua,s, which is situated in Rock Island.
Seven more casinos also opened their doors in the eight days that followed these ones that welcomed customers again.
An additional step toward normality
The Prairie State began the second-to-last stage of business reopening in May 2021. & nbsp,
Capacity limits increased to 60 %, and because vaccines were now widely available, people who had received COVID-19 vaccinations did not count toward capacity numbers.
Regardless of how many people attended the particular function, fully immunized individuals may take part in indoor or outdoor activities without a helmet, according to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. However, it would still be up to each company if they wanted to impose face rules.
By the end of May, all 10 Illinois casinos had made the decision to heed Walensky & rsquo’s advice and eliminate the masking requirements for fully vaccinated patrons.
Games are operating at full capacity.
Illinois began step 5 in June 2021, which permitted establishments, locations, activities, etc. to function without adhering to potential restrictions. Additionally, casinos were permitted to be empty around-the-clock.
Some casinos also provided free drinks in exchange for immunization documentation.
Retracting a move
The Land of Lincoln started enforcing indoor face regulations in August 2021. A face concealing may be necessary regardless of an individual’s vaccination status.
Mandatory vaccinations are implemented.
Before entering any domestic entertainment and enjoyment facilities serving food and drink in December 2021, Cook County mandated that proof of vaccination be presented. This decision was also compelled to be followed by domestic health facilities.
This only impacted Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
How this decision will affect casinos and gambling
With online sportsbooks in Illinois hitting high marks in revenue and handle in recent months, allowing bettors to enter without masks should only draw in more patrons to retail facilities.
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