Coronavirus fears prompt temporarily closure of SkyCity Auckland

In New Zealand and local casino operator SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited has reportedly been obliged to temporarily shut its SkyCity Auckland facility for a second time this year due to contagion fears surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report from Inside Asian Gaming, the iconic property was completely shuttered for almost an eight-week period from March 23 owing to coronavirus with this latest closure coming just two days after Auckland unexpectedly recorded four new cases of the potentially-lethal ailment.

Preventative precautions:

New Zealand had managed to go some 100 days without documenting a single new case of coronavirus but that the subsequent re-emergence of the highly-contagious illness has now led to its largest city being placed into a limited lockdown for three days. The source detailed that this move has entailed the immediate closure of many Auckland businesses including all local bars and restaurants while limiting gatherings to just ten people and largely prohibiting non-essential travel.

Restrained response:

Wellington and Sydney-listed SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited, which is moreover responsible for New Zealand’s SkyCity Hamilton and SkyCity Queenstown properties, reportedly used an official filing (pdf) to detail that it would be shuttering all of SkyCity Auckland’s gaming and entertainment offerings until further notice but would be keeping the venue’s pair of hotels open for existing guests.

Overall obedience:

Graeme Stephens, Chief Executive Officer for SkyCity, reportedly proclaimed that his firm’s Queenstown and Hamilton facilities are to remain open utilizing ‘physical distancing and hygiene requirements already in place’ and that he will look to ‘provide further updates as new material information becomes available.’

Reportedly read a statement from Stephens…

“SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited is fully complying with this latest update from the New Zealand government. [We are] well prepared to respond quickly to these changes and are in a strong financial position to withstand the financial impacts of these temporary restrictions.”