The Little River Casino Resort in Manistee recently announced a change to its mandatory face mask policy that will disallow three types of facial coverings in the casino starting Sept. 7.
The casino announced the policy change in a recent update to its FAQ page. The ban extends to bandanas, gaiters, and masks with valves, which the casino has deemed insufficient to help curtail the spread of COVID-19.
“These types of face coverings allow unfiltered, exhaled air and respiratory droplets to escape more easily. The updated requirements apply to all LRCR team members and guests,” Little River writes. The casino notes that any guests arriving wearing one of the three newly banned face coverings will be given a disposable mask at the entrance.
Gaiters, for the uninitiated, are the sock-like coverings worn on the neck and pulled up over the mouth and nose. Don’t feel too badly, we had to look it up too.
Tribal Casinos and COVID-19
Little River Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, so like other Michigan tribal casinos, it was not beholden to the same laws around reopening as Detroit casinos. Little River resumed operations on June 1, more than two months before Detroit casinos were allowed to reopen in early.
When Detroit casinos finally reopened, strict new rules were put in place to keep employees and guests safe, including mandatory temperature checks and facial coverings, and a capacity limit of just 15% of normal.
We recently covered Michigan casinos significant drop-off in revenue due to state-mandated COVID-19 closures initiated in March that lasted nearly five months.
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