Michigan's Bay Mills Resort and Casino to temporarily shut its doors

Bay Mills Resort and Casinos officials have announced their decision to temporarily close the property's doors for three weeks starting Wednesday at noon, due to the COVID-19 upsurge in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Although tribally owned casinos don't have to follow the new Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) order, some have still decided to shut down.

They said they budgeted enough cares act funding to continue to pay employees even with the casino shut down, Up North Live reports.

"To date, we have not had one single case of COVID transmission at Bay Mills Resort and Casino or any of our tribally owned facilities,” Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Chairperson Bryan Newland said. "With that being said, it just doesn't make sense to keep bringing people together indoors right now when we have the outbreak that we have in the Eastern UP. Just hang in there all the pandemics have ended and this one will end too."

Newland said the casino closed for over two months at the start of the pandemic.

He said when it’s been open, the casino requires mask-wearing and temperature checks, prohibits smoking and has implemented capacity restrictions among other precautions