Casino Lac-Leamy has failed to fully implement provincial health and safety protocols by not complying with the obligatory facemask policy.
Recent reports from Quebec indicate that one of its largest casinos, Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, has failed to implement the compulsory health and safety protocols fully. The slipups at the venue were first noticed by a nursing assistant from Hull Hospital and were later confirmed by an investigation conducted by Radio Canada.
Current provincial health and safety regulations mandate that all casino staff and guests wear facemasks at all times while inside the property. Additionally, proof of vaccination is necessary to gain entrance to the casino. Regretfully, Casino Lac-Leamy failed to comply with the mask mandate.
Violations Detected at the Property
Linda Dumouchel, a nurse at Hull Hospital, was the first to report the irregularities at the casino in Gatineau. She explained that her visit to the casino was her first outing in a while. She added that even though she was requested to provide proof of vaccination at the entrance, she noticed that many individuals inside were not wearing their protective facemasks.
Last weekend, a Radio-Canada team of journalists spent two hours at the casino and noticed that people were conversing and engaging without wearing protective facemasks. In compliance with provincial rules, visitors don’t need to wear a mask while dining or drinking, although most of the people in question were not in the process of doing that. Additionally, no staff member reminded the guests to put their masks back on.
In response, Loto-Québec commented that it always took health and safety rules very seriously and would send additional reminders to both staff and patrons to comply with the given protocols. Spokesperson Renaud Dugas said that Casino Lac-Leamy must follow all the health rules. However, when approached, the casino representatives refused to comment on the situation.
Epidemiologist and family medicine research chairman at the University of Ottawa, Dr Lise Bjerre, shared that these types of behaviours are not surprising considering the last 20 months of the ongoing pandemic. Bjerre added that people are starting to get tired of the restrictions. However, these limitations are in place for a reason and must be complied with, and we cannot let our guard down just yet.
