After being shut-down since March 16 due to Covid-19 prevention measures, Melco Resorts & Entertainment subsidiary Cyprus Casinos (C2) will reportedly reopen four of its five casinos on the Mediterranean island from Saturday, June 13, 2020.
Melco’s four satellite casinos, C2 Ayia Napa, C2 Nicosia, C2 Paphos, as well as C2 Limassol, the temporary casino in operation while €550 million City of Dreams Mediterranean is being developed, will resume operations with rigorous operational protocols in place, according to a Thursday joint notice of the Hong Kong-headquartered gaming giant and local partner Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Ltd., as reported by GGRAsia.
Larnaca pending relocation:
The Thursday statement further noted that C2 Larnaca, another of the satellite casinos operated by the Cyprus business, which is controlled by ICR Cyprus Holdings Ltd, a joint venture between the Cyprus-based conglomerate and Melco Resorts, will reportedly reopen after it has moved to a new location. The five Cypriot casinos are run under a 30-year exclusive license granted to the partnership in 2017.
Following the Nicosia opening in early December 2018 and the Limasol casino in June that year, C2 Larnaca premiered at two different spaces within the Larnaca International Airport. The casino will reopen once it moves to a new location and all C2 Larnaca employees will reportedly be transferred to other locations.
According to the news agency, CyprusMail, the casinos in Paphos, Nicosia and Limassol will recommence around-the-clock operations on Saturday at 7am, while the Ayia Napa gambling venue will open at 3pm on Saturday, however, it will only run from 3pm to 6am daily.
Hygiene measures:
The following operational guidelines issued by Cyprus‘ Minister of Health will reportedly be closely adhered to by the C2 casinos upon reopening:
- three-guest max per gaming table
- every other slot machine will be deactivated
- smoking will be prohibited at gaming tables and slot machines but will be permitted within designated areas
In a prepared statement included in the Thursday release, Vice President, Gaming Operations of Cyprus Casinos, Devi Kerr, stated…
“The health and safety of guests and colleagues are our top priority. C2 has prepared a comprehensive series of hygiene measures to safeguard the health and comfort of guests and colleagues throughout the casinos. It is our belief that the casinos’ reopening will not only contribute to strengthening the tourism industry, but also the recovery of the local economy. We look forward to welcoming back our guests and employees to C2,” according to local news outlet, in-cyprus.
International flights:
Late last month, Cyprus Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos announced that hotels in the country would reopen on June 1, while direct flights from 19 countries would be reset in two phases starting on June 9, with phase two beginning from June 20.
Cyprus ceased a mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors to the Eastern Mediterranean Island from May 25, opting instead for self-isolation.
The closure of all C2 operations came just three weeks after Melco opened its fourth and final satellite casino, C2 Paphos, located in Geroskipou, a coastal town in Cyprus, east of Paphos.