BELLINGHAM, Wash.— The health and safety of employees, staff, team members, guests, and community remains a top priority of Silver Reef Casino Resort as it begins the reopening process on May 21st with a soft opening for Lummi Nation Tribal members, the general public reopening will begin on the 22nd. The extended temporary closure was part of the public solution to contain COVID-19.
“The closure of Silver Reef Casino Resort has come at a tremendous price for our employees that we had to furlough.” said Marty Sauvage, CEO of Silver Reef Casino Resort. “We are pleased to be able to bring many of them back to work under the safest possible conditions.”
“This decision was made with careful consideration of the well-being of guests, employees and tribal members,” said Lawrence Solomon, Chairman of the Lummi Indian Business Council. “We have worked closely with our Lummi Public Health Team and taken every available precaution to minimize the risk.”
Confirmed cases at Lummi Nation and in Whatcom County continue to decrease.
“Silver Reef Casino Resort has been in constant contact with Lummi Health Department and engaging with local, regional and national health officials, and feel well positioned due to our enhanced cleaning techniques and technologies to open to the public,” said Sauvage. “We are following best practices from the CDC and have had our operating and sanitizing plan approved by Tribal officials.”
As one of the largest employers in Whatcom County, Silver Reef Casino Resort employs hundreds of team members and provides critical funding for Lummi Nation’s essential government services.
“We know many employees need to get back to work in order to support their families,” said Sauvage. “Our employees’ health is paramount. At the recommendation of the Lummi Public Health Department, we are taking precautionary measures in order to mitigate risk. We will be conducting daily temperature tests, providing masks, enhancing sanitization measures, and implementing other safety measures to protect our staff and patrons.”
“During this temporary closure we have implemented numerous changes to prepare ourselves to reopen,” he added. “We have reduced the available gaming positions by 50% through removal of chairs, taking machines out of service and reorienting machines to increase social distancing.”
“When you come back to Silver Reef, you will notice changes that may impact the guest experience.” said Sauvage, “Our phased approach will include opening the Hotel in early June and while those safety changes may seem unfamiliar in our gaming environment, you will still be treated to the same outstanding service you know by friendly faces you have missed.”
