In response to the rapid growth of the Covid-19 Omicron variant in Ontario, a decision has been made to shut down casinos across the Canadian province.
The shutdown will come into effect as soon as 12:01 AM Wednesday morning and is expected to last until January 26. The hope with such temporary, ‘circuit-breaker’ shutdowns is that the spreading of the variant can be controlled while a complete long-term shutdown is avoided.
Casinos were not the only areas facing temporary closure. Earlier in the week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the closing of a number of indoor establishments, including gyms, bars and restaurants. Schools, too, will be moving to remote learning, while hospitals have been ordered to stop all non-urgent surgery as numbers continue to spike.
The closing of the casinos will be overseen by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
In a press release it explained: “OLG is working with casino service providers on an orderly shutdown of all casinos across Ontario…OLG is also working with charitable gaming (cGaming) service providers to ensure a coordinated temporary shutdown of operations.”
According to the OLG, its prize center in Toronto will continue to be open but will pay out prizes by appointment only. Lottery tickets will still be accessible.
At the Caesars Windsor, hotel guests will have to vacate their rooms by noon Thursday. As Caesars Windsor President Kevin Laforet said in a statement: “The health and safety of our employees and guests remain a priority and we look forward to welcoming you back at a time when it is safe for our community.”
