New York: second Oneida Nation casino worker test positive for COVID-19

The Madison County Health Department confirmed a positive COVID-19 case at Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, New York. This is the second positive case among employees at the Oneida Nation casinos.

The first positive case was a dealer at Point Place Casino in Bridgeport earlier this month.

The YBR employee was tested on June 19 and reported no symptoms, CNYCentral reports. The Health Department looked for possible exposures on June 17 and June 18, per investigation protocol. The employee did not work on those days, so the Health Department determined there were no additional exposures.

The Oneida Indian Nation’s three casinos in Central New York have been open, on a limited basis, since June 10. The Seneca Nation’s three Western New York casinos and other gaming halls have been opening in phases this month. The small Lakeside Gaming hall run by the Cayuga Nation in Union Springs has been open since mid-May. 

The state’s commercial gaming facilities are still waiting for the signal from the state to start back up, Syracuse reports. Unlike the tribal casinos, they are bound by the opening and closing orders issued during the coronavirus pandemic by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In guidelines issued earlier this week, casinos are specifically cited among the businesses not opening for the phase four start, which is set to begin in regions like Central New York, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier at the end of this week.