Scarlet Pearl is first Mississippi casino to request all employees to get vaccinated

The Scarlet Pearl Casino in D’Iberville requested nearly 900 employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Friday, August 27 in order to stay in the job. 

The deadline to get the first dose was 9 a.m. last Friday, according to CEO LuAnn Pappas, who assured that “most have already had their two shots,” Sun Herald reports. 

In July, Pappas was the first casino operator in Mississippi to require vaccinations for all salaried employees, with the first dose’s due date set for August 14. Now the requirement has been extended to all employees. 

Scarlet Pearl Casino CEO LuAnn Pappas.

Pappas said that, despite having received some negative feedback about the policy, “we’ve gotten way more positive than we’ve ever gotten negative”. 

To incentivize vaccination, Scarlet Pearl began paying employees $300 to get fully vaccinated back in March. According to Pappas, it represented an investment of a quarter-million dollars. “We’re never going to apologize for being concerned about people’s safety and well being. There’s too much at stake”, she stated. 

To facilitate the process, the casino partnered with Memorial Hospital. Pappas described it as a "monumental task", as opinions on vaccination efficacy were divided among employees.  

Scarlet Pearl has also raised the minimum salary for employees, unless they are in a position where they get tips and come under IRS guidelines. 

“We just need people to get vaccinated,” Pappas said, and Scarlet Pearl is helping make that happen.

She donated $50,000 to kick start a vaccine lottery program created by business leaders in South Mississippi to encourage people to get vaccinated. Scarlet Pearl gave $15,000 for a promotion to get workers at the City of D’Iberville the vaccine and another $150,000 for a public promotion for the vaccine.

The casino is a vaccination site, where the public can walk in the front door, go up the escalator or elevator to the second floor and without going into the casino can get a free vaccine.

People need to call the Memorial Hospital COVID-19 Hotline at 228-867-5000 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for an appointment.