The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe implements new health and safety protocols at the Blue Lake Casino Hotel

The Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe is choosing to carefully move forward with a soft reopening of the Blue Lake Casino at 6p tonight, 08/28.

Moving forward, the casino will have modified hours, and will be open from 9 a.m. – 1 a.m. and will then close down for 8 hours for deep cleaning. The tribe will let casino guests know when we feel it’s safe to operate 24 hours again.

At the casino, a 30 percent maximum occupancy has been set, and every other chair at slot machines have been removed. Thermal cameras have been installed at all entrances and employees and guests will be required to wear a mask on the casino floor.

The tribe will have regular COVID-19 testing available on site, and employees will be encouraged to get tested weekly.

Tribal leadership has chosen to keep the casino closed now for nearly 5 months now due to COVID-19. The casino briefly reopened once in mid-July for four days, and then closed back down when COVID-19 case numbers started to climb. The tribe is closely watching the number of local cases. Right now tribal leadership feels it’s safe to reopen. If there’s another surge in cases, the tribe is prepared to close the casino back down.

• 30 percent maximum occupancy.
• Every other chair at slot machines removed.
• Only half of table games will be open; protective shields have been set up between dealers and players.
• Chips will be regularly sanitized, and frequently touched surfaces will be wiped down every hour, and sanitized every four hours.
• Thermal cameras have been installed at all entrances.
• Employees and guests will be required to wear a mask on the casino floor.
• The casino’s restaurants, such as Alice’s, Lily Pad, and Sushi Blue, will be adhering to physical distancing, with tables six feet apart. Large parties will be limited to ten people, and no food or beverages will be allowed on the casino floor.
• At the Blue Lake Hotel, housekeepers and inspectors will be wearing personal protective equipment, such a face shield, gown, and gloves when removing linens from rooms before it’s cleaned and sanitized. In addition, sneeze guards have been set up throughout the property and physical distancing stickers will help keep guests apart during check-in and check-out; guests will be asked to only ride in elevators with their parties.
• All of the tribe’s employees have been briefed and trained on the new health and safety guidelines; what guest and customer interaction will now look like; and steps that will be taken daily to reduce the risks of COVID-19.