DETROIT – The MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit is preparing to open its doors to the public on Dec. 23 thanks to loosened coronavirus restrictions announced this week.
The MotorCity Casino Hotel will reopen at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, officials said.
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All casino and hotel employees will reportedly be tested for COVID-19 before the reopening date. Officials also say that health and safety protocols will be implemented upon reopening, including:
- Mandatory face masks
- Social distancing throughout the casino by “shutting down slot machines, removing seating at table games and using plexiglass barriers”
- Temperature checks of guests and staff as they enter the building
- Prohibiting smoking inside the facility
- Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures
Under revised restrictions announced by Michigan officials on Dec. 18, casinos are required to observe a capacity limit of 100 visitors and close indoor bar and dining services.
“Our occupancy is 20 people per 1,000 square feet but not more than 100 in a distinct space, and we have a large casino with numerous distinct spaces,” reads a statement from a MotorCity Casino spokeswoman.
Establishments inside the casino and hotel are permitted to provide carry out services, but food and drink are not allowed to be consumed inside the building, according to the restrictions.
Read: Michigan revises COVID-19 order to reopen high schools, some entertainment venues
MotorCity officials said Sunday that the new capacity requirements are “not expected to result in wait times to access the casino.”
“MotorCity Casino most importantly appreciates that the new order permitting its reopening allows it to initially recall and provide critical employment and healthcare benefits to much of its workforce,” reads a press release issued Sunday.
On Friday, Dec. 18, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) revised statewide coronavirus restrictions initially established in November as a “three-week pause.” The restrictions have since been extended, but were somewhat loosened this week following promising trends in coronavirus spread in the state.
Under the new rules, indoor dining services are still banned throughout Michigan, but high schools are allowed to resume in-person learning and some entertainment venues are allowed to reopen with restrictions.
The revised restrictions are currently in effect until Jan. 15, 2021.
More: Here’s everything that’s reopening under Michigan’s revised COVID-19 order