It says the staff member arrived to work and followed sanitizing protocols, including a temperature check, but didn’t appear sick or describe feeling symptoms of the illness. The casino’s statement addresses the recent positive COVID-19 case. The casino also records the IDs of guests on arrival, an effort to provide Humboldt County health with contact-tracing information if necessary. Heather Muller, the lead spokesperson for the Humboldt County Joint Information Center which oversees the county’s COVID-19 response, also declined to comment on any COVID-19 exposure at the casino, saying in an email last week: “That is not information we have, and not information we would be able to share due to privacy concerns.”Īfter this story was published online, Dodd provided a statement listing “extensive cleaning and safety practices” at the casino, including sanitizing stations and free access to masks and gloves. The office has not responded to multiple requests for comment. This reporter was turned away upon requesting to speak to a tribal representative in person, and told to call the tribal chair’s office. In his July 15 email to staff, Dodd said the casino would proceed with the “utmost caution” and urged employees to maintain their cleaning protocols.Ī spokesperson for the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria (which owns the casino) has similarly not responded to requests for an interview on health and safety practices. With a “strict social media policy,” casino management has prevented staff from voicing their concerns about health and safety publicly, the employees who spoke to the Times-Standard said. Despite the risks, the two employees have been told to continue showing up for work. The employee who tested positive is recovering from the virus at home.īut two other staff members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, say they are concerned for their own health and safety as long as the casino remains open. General manager Matthew Dodd told employees on July 15 that there had been exposure to a known case of COVID-19 among staff members, according to a confidential email that was shared with the Times-Standard. A week later, Dodd followed up in another email to staff to say exposed employees had been tested for the new coronavirus, and their results were negative.

At least four employees at Bear River Casino Resort have quarantined after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, but the casino remains open for business.

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