Caesars Windsor casino plans to reopen July 23

Caesars Windsor, which has been closed for much of the pandemic, plans to reopen later this month, when Ontario will be in Step 3 of its reopening plan.

The casino on Tuesday announced plans to reopen July 23 at 10 a.m. ET, pending required approvals.

Casinooperations will initially be limited to slot machines, and not all food and beverage outlets will be open due to social distancing and capacity requirements, the casino said in a release.

Table games could open as soon as July 28and more amenities will be added as restrictions allow.

Reservations won't be mandatory, but all guests must registered before entering the casino. Other public health measures are in place, including Plexiglasbarriers, COVID-19 screening, masking policies and more.

"As we reopen, the health and safety of our guests and our team members remain our top priority,"Kevin Laforet, president of Caesars Windsor, said in a release. "We are optimistic for the future and look forward to providing an exciting entertainment experience for our guests."

The casino's opening will come a week after Ontario enters the third phase of reopening. Under the newly loosened rules, the casino can open at half capacity, meaning it couldaccommodate 2,500 patrons.

With the exception of a brief, limited reopening in the fall, the casinohas been closed since March 2020, putting most of its 2,700 employees out of work. A limited number of employees worked during the pandemic in roles such as security and maintenance.

According to Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy, who represents about 2,200 workers,about 600workers are being recalled right away.

Cassidy, who spoke with CBC Radio's Windsor Morning ahead of the announcement from the casino, said he wasdisappointedCaesarswould only be permitted to operate at half capacity.

"With our numbers, we continue to say we should not have these limitations down here and it should be regionally," he said, referencing the region's low COVID-19 case counts.

Cascades Casino in Chatham has announced plans to reopen at half capacityon July 16.Slots will be available at10 a.m. while table games start at 6 p.m.