June 22, 2020
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Parx Casino will not allow anyone indoors who has a temperature at or above 100.4 degrees – one of many new measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Parx Casino will resume operations next Monday with numerous COVID-19 health guidelines in place "for the foreseeable future," officials announced.
Guests and employees will both be required to wear face coverings and have their temperatures taken contact-free before entering the Bensalem, Bucks County entertainment complex. Face masks will be provided for those who don’t have one and gloves will be made available to employees.
Customers and employees who have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater will be administered a second temperature check. If the second check confirms the previous temperature, the person will not be allowed to enter.
Guests will be required to practice social distancing while on the property. Slot machines, table games and restaurant tables have been rearranged to reinforce such actions. There will not be any poker games until further notice, the casino said.
"We are excited to welcome our guests back and, while things will be different, we are dedicated to offering you an enjoyable gaming and entertainment experience," Parx Casino said in a statement posted to its website.
The reopening comes as Bucks County and the Philly suburbs move into the green phase of Pennsylvania’s reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino's safety protocols are based upon guidance issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Hand sanitizer dispensers will be placed at entrances, high-touch areas, the restaurant and service counters. Guests will be given hand sanitizer upon entry and are encouraged to disinfect their hands regularly. Hygiene reminders will be posted throughout the complex.
If the property reaches capacity limits, guests will be asked to wait in a socially-distanced queue. Entry will be limited to certain marked doors. Visitors will enter through doors that are either propped open, automated or manually operated by an employee. Valet parking will be prohibited.
Casino employees, who are being trained in the new health and safety protocols, must wash their hands and use hand sanitizer every hour and after certain activities, such as touching their face, using the restroom, entering the casino floor and eating.
The casino will be open 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Friday. Deep cleaning will take place in the six hours that the casino is not open. The sanitation efforts will focus on high-touch surfaces, such as door handles, bathrooms, dining surfaces and gaming machines and tables.
The casino will be open on a 24-hour basis from 9 a.m. on Fridays until 3 a.m. on Mondays, with ongoing cleaning taking place.
"We look forward to seeing everyone back at Parx Casino," the casino's statement said. "We hope the implementation of these new procedures will allow both guests and employees to feel comfortable, safe and welcome in returning to Parx."
Follow Pat & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @Pat_Ralph | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Pat's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
