kyron.regis@guardian.co.tt
If you spend time at the poker table or the slot machines, prepare to enter a whole new world.
The T&T Members Club Association is saying that private members clubs are ready to resume operations in a safe and responsible manner.
In a report by the association, it said: “The entire slots gaming floor has been re-design to allow 90 per cent of the machines to be able to maintain recommended social distancing, the other 10 per cent. Sneeze guards will be used, and the moving out of seating to allow for social distancing.”
According to the association, the members’ clubs would be offering a healthy and hygienic environment for its members and staff as they have developed protocols based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and the government of T&T.
The report added: “All employees will be provided training on all current and updated standards.”
It also noted that adherence to health and safety standards by all managers and the employees is non-negotiable.
Additionally, the association indicated that within the clubs, private health compliance personnel will be trained and on duty to directly address all relevant concerns or events that may arise during operations.
Prior to the re-opening, the members clubs installed sinks, signs and partitions at gaming stations. Moreover, all line and security staff would be trained on the definition of COVID-19, the symptoms of the virus, the ease by which this virus can spread, the severity of infection and the strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Thee association asserted that demonstrations would be done for the designated cleaning staff at the clubs, where they would be trained on how to properly clean a slot machine, a contact surface and how to effectively dilute cleaning products. The staff would also be shown the chemicals, which should not be mixed such as bleach and ammonia.
The cleaning and sanitising process outlined by the association ensures sanitising dispensers would not only be available at various spaces in the gaming area, but the slots staff will monitor players and aid in sanitising as well.
Guidelines have been established by the association, which includes the regular sanitisation of all slot workstation areas every 15-20 minutes, all occupied slots machines would be sanitised regularly and every time a player gets up to moves the machines the machine would be sanitised.
It also indicated that whenever a new player comes to a machine it will be sanitised, where the player would be allowed to witness before proceeding to play.
All players’ trash will be cleaned up regularly and that area sanitised, all trash during operated hours will be placed in a designated area for trash only and sprayed. After it is disposed at the end of operation the area will be cleaned and sanitised.
The association said that seat covers would be sanitised every time a new player starts and when players finish, no players would be allowed to stand behind or bet on someone else’s hand and players and staff would not be allowed to congregate.
Furthermore, the association highlighted that a sanitised deck of plastic cards would be used after each dealer change, and the outgoing dealer will sanitise the outgoing cards with rubbing alcohol.