That's eight people sitting at a table that's 6 feet long,” said an employee of the Graton Resort and Casino who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job. “At a poker table, we're sitting seven players, plus a dealer. Sonoma County Public Health Officer Sundari Mase recently told ABC7 News the department was working with the casino to mitigate risk, 'in terms of limiting indoor capacity to 20% of what's normal, in terms of enforcing facial coverings or masks and social distancing.'īut the casino may not be adhering to that 20% capacity threshold, according to some employees who say their employer's practices make them fear for their safety. After a public-shaming, the Sonoma County casino canceled the event last week and 'apologized for any inconvenience' in a statement online. The Graton Resort and Casino, located on tribal land in Rohnert Park, came under criticism for announcing that it would host a 4,000-person New Year's Eve party.
Tribal resorts and casinos in California operate under federal law on federally protected sovereign land known as rancherias – so they're not required to comply with orders issued by Gov. As California continues to grapple with a worsening winter surge of COVID-19 cases, some businesses remain able to operate outside the purview of state shutdown orders aimed to protect public health during the pandemic.
