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Coronavirus Spike In Illinois And Closure Of Casinos

Article by : Helen Dec 8, 2020

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Updated: Feb 3, 2023

The precarious situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is currently witnessed in most countries worldwide, and the USA isn’t an exception. The country relaxed its pandemic measures in the summer, believing they had found the method of containing the spread of the virus. However, the number of new COVID-19 cases started appearing almost everywhere, meaning the commercial activity was forced to close its properties.

The gambling market in the USA only started to pull out of that dark place they have been. However, the working hours of casinos in some states have been reduced to avoid a complete lockdown. Unfortunately, these precautionary measures don’t work, and some states have decided to close casino properties at all. A complete shutdown can be seen in Michigan, where Detroit properties don’t operate so far.

Illinois takes the same precautions: museums, gaming centers, casinos, and other indoor entertainment properties must be closed from November 20. It is also forbidden for people to gather in party rooms, meeting rooms, and country clubs. However, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was trying to allow casinos to stay open at 25% capacity. During one month, 23 people who had previously visited casinos were diagnosed with COVID-19. As the research shows, the casinos are in 41st place on the list of types of institutions and properties where people might get infected. During the last 12 days, Illinois has reported that more than 12,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed every day. At the same time, the total number of cases is almost 600,000.

There are three key requirements, and if the State manages to meet them during the following fortnight, the new policies will be taken. Hospitalization of people who have Coronavirus must reduce in the following week. Hospitals must have 20% of available beds, especially in intensive care wards. The last requirement is that the 7-day average rate of positive Covid-19 cases should be no more than 12% during three consecutive days.

According to Pritzker, the chances for lifting the shutdown are not high at all. He also added: “ We can save potentially thousands of lives in the next few months if we make changes right now to stop this in its tracks.”

We will continue to see a rise in both hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 for weeks ahead because of the infections that have already happened. But we can change our longer-term outcome.

As we have previously mentioned, the Illinois Department of Public Health has been gathering data for 30 days. The results show 23 people who had previously visited casinos were diagnosed with coronavirus. At the same time, the number of those who were at schools, restaurants, bars, hospitals, and retail shops is around 2,000. Pay attention that each of these categories comprises 2,000 people.

As far as the new 3-Tier system has been implemented, the big shops, including Walmart and Target, limited their capacity to 25%. The drugstores and smaller retail stores stay at 50% of their normal capacity. Gyms can operate, but only individual workouts are allowed, and regarding hotels, they also remain open though the guest only can enter them. Pritzker also added: “I’m hopeful that by limiting our in-person interactions, we will succeed at avoiding a stay at home order like what we had in the spring – when the choice between saving lives and saving livelihoods was even more stark. Tier 3 may allow us to do both.”