Oklahoma tribes to keep their casinos closed through mid-April 

In separate news releases last week, the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) tribes announced that they will keep their casinos closed through mid-April and that workers will still be paid through the shutdown.

Principal Chief David Hill (Muscogee Creek Nation) said the continued closure is at the advice and recommendation of public health officials as the outbreak continues to grow in Oklahoma and nationwide.

"As always, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation prioritizes the health and well-being of our citizens, our employees and our guests above all else," Hill said in a release. "We are committed to following the suggestions issued by federal health officials to ensure we are safeguarding the public."

"Challenging times require tough decisions, but you cannot make progress without making decisions. Extending the temporary closure of our casinos is an example of how the Nation can do its part during this epic crisis."

The closures began March 16 when both tribes closed casinos as part of the effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, Tulsa World reports. Now Creek Nation casinos will remain closed through April 15, and Cherokee Nation casinos through April 17.

The Cherokee Nation originally planned to reevaluate closures March 31, but in a letter to employees Thursday, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said reopening so soon would be "dangerous and irresponsible."

"Unfortunately, we don’t know when it will be safe for operations to resume," Hoskin said. "But, with the guidance of federal and tribal health experts, we are working to determine our next best steps."

The announcements came on the heels of a similar decision by the Chickasaw Nation earlier Thursday. Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said in a release the continued closures would be vital to ongoing social distancing efforts to slow the virus’ spread.