Island Resort and Casino in Michigan has announced plans to reopen on Wednesday after being shut down for an extended period of time due to the coronavirus. Both slots and bingo are set to be offered again at the venue, with Island Resort and Casino making several health and safety precautions.
Island Resort and Casino, located in Harris, Mich., in the upper peninsula of the state, is one of the most popular tribal casinos in the state of Michigan, and they are able to reopen without following official state law. All of the retail and commercial casinos in Michigan will remain closed based on the executive order by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Governor Whitmer has been facing extreme opposition and pressure to open casinos and other nonessential businesses in the state. Up to this point, she has decided to continue the extended closures based on information that she has received from state and local health officials.
As of Friday, there have been over 42,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state of Michigan. There were close to 4,000 deaths attributed to the coronavirus so far in the state.
There were hundreds of protesters who marched on the state capitol in Lansing on Thursday in an effort to get Whitmer to lift her executive order. Many of the protestors were armed with guns and were not wearing masks, which are highly recommended in the state of Michigan.
Many of the protestors were calling for Governor Whitmer to be impeached due to her response to the coronavirus pandemic, and they appear to have support from the federal government.
President Donald Trump made a remark during his daily briefing that Governor Whitmer should meet with the protestors and try to come to a peaceful solution.
Opposition To Move
Island Resort and Casino appears to be defying the orders by the Governor, but they have also received plenty of opposition to their announcement of reopening. Large groups of citizens in the state have called the casino “greedy,” and are not in favor of them opening up.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board also issued a statement on Friday stating that they are opposed to the reopening of the casino, but they don’t have control over the venue. Tribal casinos do not have to follow state and federal law, although they have a compact with the state in terms of sending tax revenue to Michigan.
Island Resort and Casino has announced a reopening plan that included several different phases. The first phase calls for the reopening of slots and bingo as well as limited food and beverage options.
The property has also announced that both the golf course and hotel will be reopened sometime later this month. With both hotels and golf courses being close throughout the state, the Island Resort and Casino is set to become a prime destination.
The venue has been shut down since March 21 as a voluntary closure to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Island Resort and Casino has also announced that all of the other features on the property will reopen at a future date.
The Hannahville Indian Community operates the Island Resort and Casino, and they have announced that they will be implementing measures to protect the safety of both customers and employees.
Each entrance will be equipped with a worker who will check the temperature of both employees and customers. Anyone that registers a temperature over 100 degrees will not be allowed in the venue.
Face masks will also be offered to guests of the resort, but they will not be required. Hand sanitizing stations will also be offered throughout the resort.
