Atlantic City ramps up cleaning measures

With coronavirus expanding its reach globally, several high traffic locations are trying to take steps to reduce the risk to customers.

Calvin Ayre reports that Atlantic City has become one such area, as several casino operators are providing information as to how they will protect customers from Covid-19.

MGM Resorts International, who operates Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, issued a statement explaining, “We are proactively communicating with our employees on the guidance from the CDC regarding prevention.

“We have enhanced our cleaning protocols that include placing hand sanitiser dispensing stations in high traffic areas, reinforcing proactive cleaning and increasing the frequency of disinfectant procedures.

“We continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and are closely monitoring for updates.”

Golden Nugget Atlantic City executive vice president and general manager Tom Pohlman said: “We have taken proactive measures to help minimise customer concerns including frequently sanitising surfaces in high traffic areas, adding hand sanitiser throughout the casino, encouraging good hygiene practices amongst our staff, requiring employees who have travelled to certain areas to stay home for 21 days before returning to work and following all other CDC recommended guidelines.”

All of the casinos are implementing procedures to try to reduce potential risks.

Boardwalk Hall General Manager Jim McDonald told reporters that his staff is working extremely hard to keep the facility clean.

“Our cleaning processes are very thorough, we’ll continue to do that as well as additional rounds of cleaning.”

He added that 30,000 people will pass through the facility on a given weekend, making it necessary that they “follow directions from the experts and implement” their recommendations.

Borgata officials told local news outlets on March 5, “We have enhanced our cleaning protocols that include placing additional hand sanitiser dispensing stations in high traffic areas, reinforcing proactive cleaning and increasing the frequency of disinfectant procedures.”

These measures come as the virus starts to rear its ugly head in the Garden State.

On March 9, New Jersey officials reported that 11 cases of the Covid-19 virus had been confirmed, with five additional cases being added in the afternoon alone.

There were 24 additional patients being monitored as potential cases.

Most notably, the head of New York and Jew Jersey’s Port Authority is one of the confirmed cases, and New York Governor Cuomo has hypothesized he may have contracted the virus at an airport.

Atlantic City is not the only area providing these kinds of measures.

Las Vegas has been stepping up their cleaning efforts after the first case of the coronavirus was reported in southern Nevada.

This led several casino operators to increase their disinfectant procedures, including adding hand sanitiser at gaming tables and washing down tables and bars on a more frequent basis.

Atlantic City mayor wants to demolish Trump Plaza

The mayor of Atlantic City has said he will tear down the shuttered Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino as one of his administration’s main goals for 2020.

Casino News Daily reported in January that mayor Marty Small delivered his unofficial State of the City address during the annual winter luncheon of the Metropolitan Business and Citizens Association, which took place at Caesars Atlantic City last Thursday.

Trump Plaza was once owned by US President Donald Trump.

The property closed doors in September, 2014.

By that time, Mr Trump had cut ties with Atlantic City and had left its casino industry.

In October 2014, he filed a lawsuit against the property’s then owners to have his name removed from the vacant building.

His business eventually kept a small stake in the property in return for the use of his name, but that one has since been extinguished.

Trump Plaza is currently owned by New York billionaire business Carl Icahn.

The former hotel and casino complex was considered for demolition for nearly three years, but the process has been delayed.

Mayor Small said this week that his administration’s goal is to “tear Trump Plaza down” and that the vacant property’s demolition being delayed for years would “not be accepted in any other city but Atlantic City.”

The official went on that this was an “embarrassment, it’s a blight on our skyline, and that’s the biggest eyesore in town.”