The Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee in Immokalee, Florida announced it will reopen at 11 a.m., Monday, August 31. It’s the last of the Seminole Tribe’s casino properties to restart operations after closing March 20 due to Covid-19. The property will operate at half capacity. About 540 employees have been called back to work.
The casino will operate under Seminole Gaming’s Safe + Sound program, said Jim Allen, chief executive officer at Seminole Gaming and chairman at Hard Rock International. “Seminole Gaming has made a tremendous commitment to Safe + Sound protocols and a safety-first mentality for both guests and team members. Feedback from guests and team members has been overwhelmingly supportive and comments focus on their positive peace of mind when they visit the casino complexes,” Allen said.
The Safe+Sound program guidelines include temperature checks for all guests and team members prior to entry and mandatory masks, which will be provided if necessary. Alternating slot machines will be turned off to help maintain social distancing on the casino floor. Also, plexiglass barriers have been installed at table games and customer service areas, and hand sanitizing stations have been set up throughout the property.
In addition, more than 100 team members will be part of a new Safe+Sound Clean Team to clean and disinfect surfaces throughout the complex. Also, the AtmosAir bipolar ionization system has been installed to provide constant purification and disinfecting of the air flowing into the complex.
The casino’s EE-TO-LEET-KE Grill will be open for dine-in or to-go orders with mandatory social distancing and limited seating.
Last March, before the mandatory shutdown, state Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen called for the casino to close following the death of a gambler from Covid-19. However, the man’s daughter confirmed the family doesn’t believe the man caught the virus at the casino.
