The detection of three new cases of COVID-19 linked to Perth’s hotel quarantine system has seen Crown Resorts forced to suspend casino operations at Crown Perth just two days after reopening.
The Australian casino giant issued an announcement late Friday confirming it had been granted permission to reopen from the morning of Saturday 1 May following an easing of COVID-19 restrictions by the Western Australian government. However, barely hours had passed before news broke of three new community-transmitted cases of COVID-19 – prompting the government to reintroduce movement restrictions on the city and surrounding regions.
On Monday, Crown said these restrictions required the immediate closure of the casino, including food and beverage facilities within the casino, until at least 12:01am next Saturday 8 May 2021.
“Crown Perth continues to operate all hotels, non-gaming food and beverage venues, banqueting and conference facilities,” it said.
Perth had previously entered a snap three-day lockdown from 23 April after a man staying in hotel quarantine tested positive days after checking out. Some restrictions remained in place for another four days after the lockdown ended but it wasn’t until 24 hours after all restrictions were eased that three new cases – a hotel quarantine security guard and two of his housemates – tested positive on Saturday.
Crown Perth remains the focus of an ongoing Royal Commission currently being held in Western Australia in response to the findings of an inquiry into Crown’s operations held in the state of New South Wales.
The subsequent Bergin Report found Crown unsuitable to retain its NSW casino license, although the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority has flagged the likelihood that the license will be reissued later this year.
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