Batavia Downs, like other public facilities across the state in the wake of COVID-19, is complying with new state directives on reduced capacity and social distancing, Western OTB CEO Henry Wojtaszek said this evening.
The Batavian contacted Wojtaszek in part because several people over the past day have expressed concern to us that Batavia Downs was exempt from the new rules.
The directive from the NYS Department of Health requires bars and restaurants to restrict occupancy to 50 percent of normal capacity (PDF).
The directive specifically mentions gaming facilities and Wojtaszek said Western OTB has also received guidance from the state's gaming commission.
"We're operating in accordance with state guidance," Wojtaszek said. "We're trying to create a safe environment, keep a safe social distance between customers, and keep everybody as safe as possible."
Each room of the facility will maintain an occupancy rate of no more than 50 percent of capacity, with security guards at the entrance of each, maintaining a count, Wojtaszek said. That applies to each restaurant inside Batavia Downs as well as each bar and the gaming rooms.
Batavia Downs will also be limited to no more than 500 customers inside the entire facility at any one time, he said, though occupants of the hotel will not count against that number.
Chairs have been removed between every other VTL (slot) machine to provide extra distance between customers.
The new state rules requiring facilities to operate at 50 percent of capacity also prohibits gatherings of 500 people or more and planned gatherings of fewer people, organizers must reduce the size of the crowd.
The new directive applies to:
- Auditoriums,
- Concerts,
- Conferences,
- Sporting events,
- Restaurants,
- Gaming establishments,
- Physical fitness centers,
- Theaters.
Businesses and facilities that can maintain safe social distancing can apply for an exemption to the 50-percent capacity rule.
Signs must also be posted directing anybody who is sick or becomes sick to either not enter or leave. Staff must be alerted and trained to spot people displaying symptoms of coronavirus.
"Like everybody else, we're concerned with public safety and we think it's a fair assessment to follow the guidance given to us by the state and the gaming commission," Wojtaszek said. "Certainly, we'll have fewer people at our facility but in the scheme of things, it's the right thing to do for public health and we're happy to comply."
Photo: File photo.
