Massachusetts' Encore Boston Harbor outlines reopening plans

Encore Boston Harbor's parent company, Wynn Resorts, is outlining plans for how they can reopen the $2.6 billion resort casino in Everett, Massachusetts' newest casino.

Gov. Charlie Baker has signaled that he hopes to have some businesses reopen in the state on May 18, ABC reports. He has an advisory board developing plans for a gradual reopening, which would start with limited operations of selected businesses and expand in phases.

Whenever it does get the green light to reopen, the experience of visiting Encore Boston Harbor will be dramatically different for guests, players, and staff.

Wynn Resorts, which built and operates Encore, published a 23-page document over the weekend containing a summary of their plans.

"It relies on the best available science on sanitization methods, in consultation with professional infectious disease experts from some of the best academic institutions in the country," Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox wrote in an introductory statement. "We will continue to refine and update the plan as our experts provide us more advice."

The first change listed in the document is the installation of thermal cameras at all points of entry. Any guests or staff with a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be taken "to a private area" for a second check. If that person's fever is confirmed, they will be denied entry.

Guests of the resort will be provided with masks, hand sanitizer, and information about COVID-19, the plan said. Those wearing masks on the casino floor, however, will need to briefly lower their masks so staff can confirm their age and identification.

Other changes will affect the layout of restaurants and the massive gaming floor, which once boasted 3,158 slot machines, 143 table games, and 88 poker tables. Some machines will be turned off or reconfigured to add more spacing between players and some chairs will be removed to allow for more space between players at table games, the document said.

"Restaurant tables, slot machines, table games, and other physical layouts will be arranged to ensure appropriate distancing," the document said.

Plexiglass barriers will be installed at some table games, retail stores, host podiums and other locations where customers interact directly with staff, Wynn said. When poker play resumes, which the plan indicates would occur at a later phase, several additional cleaning procedures will be added for those spaces.

The plan says many public areas will be sanitized hourly and vehicles will be cleaned between trips. While the summary includes procedures for reopening the salon, the resort's spa and fitness center will both remain closed, for now.