Oregon’s Wildhorse Resort & Casino may have closed and its workers may be languishing at home. However, they’re getting paid, at least for now.
Shortly after announcing the temporary closure the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation announced that it would pay its employees for the next two weeks. It employs an estimated 1,000.
The casino is the top employer in Pendleton, Oregon. The casino also has restaurants and a hotel. Although the casino closed, the hotel tower remained partially open, with rooms restricted to 100 with some suspended amenities, such as shuttle service.
As of March 25, Umatilla County had three confirmed cases of coronavirus. The first reported case of the disease in the state was at the Wildhorse, leading to its closure the first time for two days.
