Encore Boston Harbor Outlines Coronavirus Reopening Plan

EVERETT, MA — Don't expect to be shoulder to shoulder with your fellow slot players when Encore Boston Harbor reopens. The Everett casino detailed its plan to prevent the spread of the coronavirus Monday as it looks toward opening back up, much of which is focused on ensuring employees and customers remain a safe distance apart.

Though no official reopening date has been announced, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox said Encore will pay its employees through May 31. The company has developed its safety plan in coordination with state and local officials, as well as fellows from Georgetown and Johns Hopkins University.

The plan calls for using thermal cameras to detect people with a temperature over 100.4 degrees, who will then be taken to a private area for a secondary screening. Employees or guests confirmed to have a temperature above 100.4 degrees will not be allowed onto the property and directed toward medical care.

Restaurant tables, slot machines, table games and other physical layouts will be arranged to encourage physical distancing of at least six feet apart. This will include the removal of chairs at slot machines, table games and restaurants. Plexiglass barriers will be installed at permanent stations.

Hand sanitizer dispensers, hands-free wherever possible, will be placed at
key guest and employee entrances and contact areas such as driveways, reception areas,
hotel lobbies, the casino floor, restaurant entrances, meeting and convention spaces,
elevator landings, salons and exercise areas.

Employees will undergo training for responding to possible cases of COVID-19 on the property and wear personal protective equipment "based on their role and responsibilities and in adherence to state or local regulations and guidance."

Encore Boston Harbor shut down March 15 and said it would pay its employees through at least May 15. Maddox said Monday the pay period has been extended, costing the company $3 million per day, or $220 million through the end of the month.

Click here to read more about Encore's reopening safety plan.