Coronavirus precautions introduced at Encore Boston Harbor

In Massachusetts and the giant Encore Boston Harbor facility is reportedly due to implement a number of precautionary measures in hopes of helping to stop the potential spread of the potentially-deadly coronavirus strain that has recently infected some 92 locals.

According to a Tuesday report from local television broadcaster WBTS-TV, the 671-room property owned by Las Vegas-headquartered Wynn Resorts Limited is to soon begin taking the temperatures of all entering guests and staff before referring anyone with a fever to a team of on-call medical professionals.

Wash your hands:

The 27-story Encore Boston Harbor opened in June and features 15 bars and restaurants alongside a 210,000 sq ft casino offering a selection of some 2,800 slots as well as over 140 gaming tables. The five-star venue on the outskirts of Boston reportedly detailed that it has already implemented new frequent hand washing procedures for all of its employees and will also be requiring workers to stay at home if they feel unwell.

Developing disquiet:

First recorded in the Chinese city of Wuhan in early-December, the coronavirus strain is officially known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and causes pneumonia-like symptoms such as high fevers and coughs. The condition has so far killed approximately 4,500 people around the world including 31 in the United States and last month led to every one of the 39 casinos in Macau being shuttered for a 15-day period.

Sanitation swell:

Encore Boston Harbor reportedly told the broadcaster that there is already an ‘abundance’ of hand sanitizer stations spread throughout its public and employee areas and that it is to have on-site medical staff that guests can consult via a simple call to its concierge service. The venue purportedly explained that it is to moreover up its cleaning of public surfaces such as elevator buttons, door handles, faucets, handrails and telephones and will be disinfecting its slots, cash machines and kiosks on an hourly basis.

Serious sterilization:

The Massachusetts property furthermore reportedly pronounced that gaming supplies such as dice and chips are now to be regularly cleaned and changed after only four hours in use while it will add ‘precautionary measures’ to its food and beverage preparation areas and increase the frequency with which it sanitizes shared utensils.

Gubernatorial judgment:

The moves from Encore Boston Harbor purportedly came after Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency as a result of an overnight doubling in the number of locals that had been infected with the coronavirus ailment. WBTS-TV used a second Tuesday report to detail that the move will give the Republican greater powers to shut down events and utilize government resources without the need for large and time-consuming amounts of paperwork.

Elderly alarm:

The broadcaster reported that Baker has additionally restricted some travel for his staff and urged older individuals or those with pre-existing conditions to avoid large crowds. This purportedly came after officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health advised the state’s nursing homes to bar visitors who had recently travelled abroad or were showing symptoms of coronavirus.

Baker reportedly told the broadcaster…

“Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency in Massachusetts. This declaration will give our administration more flexibility to respond to this evolving outbreak. The highly contagious nature of this disease means if everyone plays their part in slowing the spread the number of people who become infected and require medical attention doesn’t spike all at once, which would overwhelm many of our systems.”