MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Two casinos, one in Miami-Dade County and one in Broward County, are the first to reinstate mask wearing regardless of vaccination status for all guests and staff after a jump in coronavirus cases in the state and around the country.
As of Monday, anyone entering Calder Casino will be required to wear a face covering according to the company’s website.
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The casino stated that the only exceptions will be when “consuming food or beverage.” Two restaurants and the bar inside the casino are open for business.
On Tuesday, The Casino at Dania Beach announced that guests and staff must wear face masks inside the casino, touting that they are the first casino in Broward County to voluntarily reinstate the mask mandate. Also, the only exemption will be eating or drinking.
There has been no announcement by the largest casino owner in the area, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which operate the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino, Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
At the end of May, the tribe, along with other South Florida casinos, relaxed mask mandates and allowed face coverings to be worn voluntarily.
South Florida casinos were shuttered in mid-March after the first coronavirus surge. When casinos re-opened in June of 2020 – the Miccosukee Resort reopened a month earlier – masks were required.
With the much more contagious delta variant now spreading exponentially, Florida hit 11,515 hospitalized patients Tuesday, breaking last year’s record for the third straight day and up from just 1,000 in mid-June.
That same day, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis downplayed a spike in COVID-19 cases and strongly reiterated his vow not to impose a mask mandate or any business restrictions.