Indian Head Casino closes after worker tests positive for COVID-19

Reopening decision due soon after testing of more casino workers

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Less than three weeks after reopening, the Indian Head Casino closed again last week, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. It may reopen in coming days, if testing of more employees doesn’t find further cases, a spokeswoman said Saturday.

The casino, which had reopened on June 18 after a three-month closure, closed early on Wednesday evening after the staff member’s positive test result was confirmed through contact tracing.

One of the last casinos in the region to reopen, Indian Head, which employs nearly 200 people, had been “doing okay” since the reopening, said Belinda Chavez, director of marketing at Indian Head.

“We were behind the rest of the Pacific Northwest, so we didn’t have a big rush at the door,” she said.

New features have been added to welcome back guests, and numerous safety protocols were in place to ensure they felt safe.

Since the closure, “everything has been deep-cleaned” in preparation for reopening, Chavez said. “So far, we have not had any additional positive tests at this point,” she added.