California casinos plan New Year's Eve galas despite COVID-19 threat
Thunder Valley Casino's event is expected to see 6,000 attendees
Some Northern California casinos are going forward with New Year's Eve party plans, even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in the already-ravaged Golden State.
The popular Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks and Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln are reportedly holding exclusive indoor soirees while communities nationwide cancel traditional events celebrating the annual milestone.
The casino galas are possible despite Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's imposition of another stay-at-home order because they are located on tribal lands not beholden to local or state coronavirus restrictions.
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"This year's New Year's celebration will be like most of 2020: a little different," Cache Creek's website reads. "Cache Creek Casino Resort will become a private venue starting at 12:00 p.m. on December 31, 2020. We will reopen to the public at 6:00 a.m. on January 1, 2021."
Thunder Valley's "Farewell 2020" event is expected to accomodate 6,000 revelers, according to The Sacramento Bee.
It's closing to the public early on Thursday and reopening for business on Friday at 6 a.m.
Posted by Thunder Valley Casino Resort on Sunday, December 27, 2020
Most casinos locked down in the spring before reopening to customers with measures like temperature checks, plexiglass barriers, mask mandates, and reduced capacity.
On its Facebook Page, Cache Creek wrote that it had mandated testing for all employees and also conducts "ongoing surveillance testing to identify any asymptomatic cases so employees can go home to recover before they can potentially spread the virus."
The business has a page on its website that explains its health and sanitation procedures. Thunder Valley doesn't provides that information.
In July, Thunder Valley workers resigned from their jobs citing unsafe working conditions.
Nevertheless, both venues told the Bee that the parties will make up just a fraction of the normal number of New Year's Eve guests.
That said, Rohnert Park's Graton Resort Casino abruptly canceled its 4,000-person party after the event was decried on social media.
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Like most of the state, there has been a major uptick in daily case rates in Sonoma County.
None of the three casinos immediately returned messages seeking comment from FOX Business.