CHEROKEE, NC – Health officials in North Carolina are investigating a group of coronavirus cases after five casino employees tested positive for the virus in two weeks.
The cases were identified among Harrah’s Cherokee Casino employees who work in the table games section, the Jackson County Department of Public Health said in a press release Monday. They are now following isolation orders.
“Based on information provided by employees and video surveillance records, no other employee or customer has been identified as a close contact as defined by the CDC,” said Brooks Robinson, the casino’s regional manager. “All employees who test positive, show symptoms, or have had close contact with someone who tested positive, have been ordered not to come to work and isolate themselves.”
The casino closed in March after Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order to stem the spread of the virus. Then, the business announced that it would reopen in late May with 30% capacity, social distancing protocols, and a mask requirement for employees.
They said in May that daily “health checks” would also be carried out on casino employees.
Jackson County, where the casino is located, has nearly 280 confirmed cases of coronavirus and three deaths from the virus.
