Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh is scheduled to resume operations at 8 a.m. Monday.
The casino made the announcement Thursday after Gov. Tom Wolf eased covid-19 restrictions. It had been closed since Dec. 12.
The reopening means some 1,086 casino employees will return to work next week with more to follow as business ramps back up. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh employs about 1,320 workers.
The gaming floor will be open 24/7, with amended hours for indoor dining and capacity restrictions not exceeding 50%.
“We especially want to thank our team members, guests and the Pittsburgh community for their support throughout 2020,” said Rivers Casino General Manager Bill Keena. “We have every reason to expect 2021 will be a better year, and by continuing our focus on safety, we’re looking forward to a healthy, Happy New Year for all.”
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The ongoing pandemic coupled with the arrival of winter this week is putting additional strain on people experiencing homelessness and the shelters that serve them.
Dr. Jim Withers, founder and medical director of Pittsburgh Mercy’s Operation Safety Net, said COVID-19 has been a disaster on top of a chronic disaster for people who live outside, especially during colder weather.
“COVID has been a tremendous stress on them not just as a direct health threat but also disrupting the services they depend upon, “ Withers said.
Withers said since shelters have had to reduce capacity due to the pandemic, access to health care, food and rehabilitation services has been impacted.
That means that one-third of the county’s total COVID fatalities since the start of the pandemic have occurred in December.
According to the state, there are 767 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Allegheny County, including 197 in intensive care units.
Allegheny County’s fatalities are also outpacing those in Philadelphia this month, despite the fact that Philadelphia is home to 368,000 more people.
Just under 10 percent of all Pennsylvania deaths from COVID-19 have occurred this month in Allegheny County, which comprises around 10 percent of the state s population.
Both Allegheny County and Pennsylvania have set multiple single-day records for COVID-19 cases and deaths in December. The surge started in early fall and picked up pace following Thanksgiving.
Nate Smallwood | Tribune-Review
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Allegheny County’s coronavirus case total grew by 830 on Wednesday, putting the county on pace to reach 50,000 later this week.
At its current pace after averaging 819 cases per day over the past week the county’s total will hit 50,000 on Christmas Day. Only Philadelphia has reached that total, crossing 50,000 on Nov. 17. It now has 82,788 cases.
The new cases bring the county’s total to 48,738, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. The new cases 621 confirmed and 209 probable stem from 2,224 new PCR tests.