Sarah Eddy
Busy Tesuque Casino floor on Nov 23, 2018, the day it first opened.
Just two months after Tesuque Casino reopened its doors from its original closure in March, it's game off for the establishment. As of Nov. 5, the casino is closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a press release, the person is the first employee to test positive at the casino. That assertion is backed up by rapid response data provided by the New Mexico Environment Department's up-to-date lists of which businesses have had one or more employees test positive for the virus.
It's not known when the casino will reopen, though the press release said "some time in the coming days."
The pueblo says it will clean and sanitize the entire building and make sure all employees test negative for COVID-19 before returning to work.
A call to Tesuque casino, the pueblo's gaming commission was not returned by time of publication and the governor was not available for comment.
The landscape of which gaming establishments are open is unevenly distributed across the state. Pojoaque Pueblo opened its three casinos in September, while others, such as Isleta and Laguna pueblos have had their gaming operations opened, albeit with certain restrictions, since June.
Casinos are a major source of revenue for sovereign nations. In Pojoaque, their three casinos are the biggest employers and reopening the establishments were crucial to fund essential services.
"[The closures] definitely cost the pueblo millions," Gov. Joseph Talacy told SFR in September.
The Navajo Nation's closures of its five casinos (three in New Mexico and two in Arizona) might finally lift after the Navajo Nation Council supported the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise's reopening plan on Nov. 2, despite a rise in COVID-19 cases. Navajo President Jonathan Nez will need to sign or veto the resolution within 10 days, as reported by the Navajo Times.
