Monday is D-day in Alberta, with the local authorities deciding whether the province is ready to move into phase three of the lockdown.
It’s been a buildup of expectations as Alberta seems poised to shift into phase three of the national lockdown on Monday, 29 March. Should this happen, several businesses, including the province’s gambling sector, will be allowed to resume their operations.
Alberta remains the only province with a complete ban on casinos after these got shut down three months ago. Should the province shift to phase three, casinos will be allowed to reopen under stringent health and safety protocols.
Safety Measures in Place
Alberta’s casinos have been preparing for a potential reopening for some time now, and most have installed safety measures to protect staff members and visitors. Vik Mahajan, the River Cree Casino CEO, recently shared his thoughts on the current situation.
According to Mahajan, the casino industry remains the only one with a non-operational status, even though other businesses have been given the green light to recommence operating with some restrictions. As a result, the local gaming industry has suffered badly due to the current lockdown implementation. Mahajan added that the casinos were strict with complying with safety protocols, but they were still closed down.
Conversely, in light of a potential business restart, some Edmonton residents have voiced their concern that the reopening may be coming too soon. According to them, now is not the right time for a restart, and the government should hold back until June. June has been the targeted deadline set by the government to vaccinate every adult in the province.
