Thurston was reporting 126 cases with one death and 10 patients being actively monitored by county Public Health. The decision to open Monday was made with data as the primary consideration, Peters said - specifically, the number of cases of COVID-19 in Mason and Thurston counties.Īs of Friday afternoon, Mason had reported 31 total confirmed positive cases of the disease with one death and six cases active. “As the Indian gaming industry looks to reopen, each sovereign nation is developing a responsible safety and health plan for their patrons, employees, and economic welfare,” Ray Peters, intergovernmental affairs liaison for the Squaxin Island Tribe and chief operating officer of the Little Creek Casino Resort, told The Olympian in a phone interview Friday. Protocols to extensively, frequently sanitize are in place at both locations. Half of the slot machines have been removed at Little Creek and capacity will be at 50%, while half of Red Wind’s slot machines have been turned off, according to its announcement. Visitors will have their IDs and temperatures checked, and each guest will be required to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth. Little Creek and Red Wind both will be 100% smoke-free, according to their online announcements. But the Puyallup Tribe announced Thursday it, too, will reopen its Emerald Queen Casino in Fife on Monday, Tacoma News Tribune reports. Thurston County’s other casino, the Chehalis Tribe’s Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel, has indicated it won’t consider reopening to the public until next month.

The reopenings come with long lists of policies and precautions that will be introduced in an effort to safeguard visitors. Two Olympia area casinos - Little Creek Casino Resort near Shelton and Nisqually Red Wind Casino - have announced they’ll reopen Monday, following closures that began in mid-March because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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