FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2020
Wildhorse Reopens with Inspection Certification
Mission, OR – After a 48-hour voluntary closure, Wildhorse Resort & Casino reopened for business at noon today following an inspection and backed by a letter of certification from environmental health officials and regulatory inspectors.
“Wildhorse has exceeded expectations to bring our facility to the highest standard of cleanliness,” says CEO Gary George. “The well-being of the people who work in and visit our resort is our utmost priority.”
Upon learning Monday morning that a Wildhorse employee had become ill and tested presumptive positive for COVID-19, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) made the decision to immediately close the main building at the resort in order to take cautionary measures to safeguard the health of employees and guests.
While there was no requirement or directive given by government or health officials to close, the BOT’s priority was to safeguard the public and employees. In addition, the BOT ordered the establishment of an Incident Command team to direct and monitor activities.
Wildhorse promptly began sanitizing surfaces in each area of the resort’s main facility including the casino, hotel, Cineplex, Children’s Entertainment Center and arcade, restaurants, and administrative offices. The process involved sanitization by manual cleaning as well as use of a Clorox® Total 360 System, an electrostatic spraying unit used by hospitals, clinics, and schools.
The affected employee, who is believed to have been exposed out of the area while on travel, worked in a restricted area of the building in a role that does not involve contact with the public or kitchen facilities. According to Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, employees in a closed environment with the individual would have been at a low risk of exposure and Wildhorse guests would have been categorized as having no identifiable risk.
Daily activities at the resort will return to normal and special events will ramp up in the next few days. Details about upcoming events can be found at www.wildhorseresort.com.
About Wildhorse Resort & Casino:
Centrally situated between Boise, Spokane and Portland, Wildhorse Resort & Casino is a premier destination for family getaways, business meetings and large conventions. The resort features a 24-hour casino, hotel, RV Park, seven restaurants, a five-screen Cineplex, 18-hole championship golf course, travel plaza (for commercial trucks and private vehicles) and a tribal museum. Expanding in the fall of 2020 with the addition of the all-new Family FunPlex, showcasing a state-of-the-art Bowling Center, Food Court, and Arcade, there is no destination experience like it in the Pacific Northwest. Wildhorse offers over 1200 slots, all your favorite table games, live keno, bingo and live entertainment Thursday-Saturday. Wildhorse is located just off I-84 at exit 216, four miles east of Pendleton, OR. Wildhorse is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
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For information, contact Mary Liberty-Traughber at 800-654-9453, extension 1628, or mary.liberty@wildhorseresort.com.
