Rivers Casino set to shut down for two weeks, amid coronavirus fears
FISHTOWN - Coronavirus is shutting down slots. Harrah’s Casino, in Chester and Parx Casino, in Bensalem have joined Valley Forge Casino, in King of Prussia in closing their doors.
Rivers Casino, in Philadelphia, will close Sunday night at midnight.
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“I don’t want to be with no crowds, that’s why I came early, so I can be out of here at least by 11,” explained Ronnie, visiting Rivers Casino before closing.
Ronnie showed up to the casino in Philadelphia early Saturday morning, taking advantage of what, she says, could be her last chance at hitting the slots for the near future.
Rivers Casino in Philadelphia
“I play every now and then and I do pretty good, so I just wanted to come down because I heard they were going to be closed for two weeks,” Ronnie added.
Rivers Casino will close its doors for two weeks starting late Sunday night at midnight, out of an abundance of caution, though there have been no known cases of COVID-19 at the casino.
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“There’s going to be a lot of disappointed people, but, hey, gotta do what you gotta do,” Pete Bardi stated.
The casino joins other area casinos closing their doors, because of coronavirus concerns. Harrah’s, Parx and Rivers all said they will be paying their employees through the two weeks they are closed. A relief for Rivers employee Shady Brown.
“Gotta shut it down, main part is gotta make sure everything is cleaned and sanitized,” Brown stated.
The closure comes as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf ordered all schools, public places and gathering places to shut down in Montgomery and Delaware Counties for two weeks.
Jeanna Cooper is newly-pregnant and said she applauds businesses stepping up.
“I think it’s the right move. I think it’s a smart move and I commend these businesses for stepping up and doing the right thing. As a pregnant patient, there’s not a lot of data to know how it’s going to affect me or our future child, so it’s scary to not know that and it’s scary for everyone around us, too,” Cooper explained.
As for weekend plans, while some will head to Rivers to test their luck for a final two days, Cooper says it’s a time to be productive, at home.
“It’s a great time to do some gardening this weekend and get some stuff done around the house that probably needed to get done,” Cooper added.
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