All three Detroit casinos say they will close Monday for at least two weeks. Motor City Casino will close at noon, and MGM Detroit Casino and Greektown Casino are closing at 5 p.m.
That’s after the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced late Sunday night that there are now 53 cases of people infected with the new coronavirus in Michigan.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer says people crowding into casinos pose a public health threat.
“There is a lot of close contact in a casino, and that is why it’s front and center in a lot of conversations that are happening across the country,” she says.
Schools have already been closed under an emergency order from the governor.
The governor also signed an order limiting many public gatherings to no more than 250 people.
The governor says she was also disturbed to see lines of young people line up to get into bars in college towns after classes were canceled.
“And I found those incredibly disturbing, as well. Certainly at the local level there are some decisions being made, but I think you’ll see some at the state level in short order,” she says.
Whitmer says government action to deal with that is likely.
