The new coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed another victim, forcing King’s Casino Rozvadov to shut it’s doors to players from — or who have recently visited — Italy.
Following news that five cases of coronavirus have been registered in the Czech Republic, King’s Casino has acted.
In a March 2 Facebook announcement, the venue’s PR team outlined its latest preventative measures. Along with canceling a selection of events in March and April, casino executives have banned anyone who has recently traveled from Italy from entering the premises.
Italian Travelers Told to Stay Away
The indefinite ban means Italian residents and those traveling from Italy will be unable to visit the casino or hotel.
“In order to safeguard the health of our international guests and prevent the spread of the COVID-19, we have chosen to completely limit access in all areas of the casino and hotel to all residents of, and those traveling, from Italy,” reads the Facebook post.
The decision was made after two cases of coronavirus in the Czech Republic were traced back to Italy.
Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtech told local media outlets that a woman hospitalized on March 2 had just returned from northern Italy. Investigations show that she stayed in the same hotel as another Czech resident also found to have the virus.
Although it appears radical, King’s Casino’s move is in line with official containment efforts. As of this week, universities have told students to stay at home, and bus operator RegioJet has suspended routes to Italy.
The government has also worked with the European Commission to limit flights to and from Italy. Finally, the Biathlon World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě will take place without an audience.
Coronavirus Effects Poker
For their part, executives at King’s Casino have said their policy is fluid.
“Given the constant evolution of the situation, we will follow any new developments in the hope of removing this limitation to an audience to whom we are very fond of,” continues the March 2 post.
King’s Casino is the third poker entity to be affected by coronavirus. In February, the World Poker Tour (WPT) canceled various events in Asia.
With COVID-19 hitting Macau’s casino industry, as well as other parts of the continent, local WPT operations have been suspended until May.
In the US, an employee at Oregon’s Wildhorse Resort was diagnosed on Monday. The incident took the number of US coronavirus cases to 152 and forced the casino to close its doors.
As yet, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will go ahead as planned. Seth Palansky, Caesars Vice President of Communications, said that his team will monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and act accordingly. However, right now, there are now plans to cancel the summer series in Las Vegas.
With major events around the world being canceled due to coronavirus, vigilance is paramount. More changes to poker timetables and casino policies are possible. Players should also practice good hygiene, both at the poker table and away from it.
