In northern Oregon and the Wildhorse Resort and Casino has reportedly become the first casino in the United States to be temporarily shuttered as a result of one of its male employees testing positive for the highly-contagious coronavirus strain.

According to an Associated Press report published by US News and World Report, the venue is run by the federally-recognized Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and was closed Monday as the infected worker required hospitalization in the nearby Washington city of Walla Walla.

Climbing concern:

The newspaper reported that the incident represents the third known case of coronavirus in the giant western state although the earlier instances had occurred in the area around the city of Portland, which lies some 215 miles west of the Wildhorse Resort and Casino. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon State Health Officer, reportedly told the news service that the ailment is likely circulating across ‘The Beaver State’ and that his office is now expecting to record additional sufferers in multiple locations.

Reportedly read a statement from Sidelinger…

“With having three cases fairly quickly identified, two of which we can’t identify the specific source, that would indicate to us that this disease is circulating in our community and we will likely see additional cases.”

Widespread contagion:

The first recorded American case of the potentially-deadly coronavirus strain, which is officially known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), was recorded in a northern Seattle suburb on January 19 while US News and World Report reported that the condition is now thought to have infected approximately 40 people across ten states.

Multiple measures:

Chuck Sams, Communications Director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, reportedly detailed that the Wildhorse Resort and Casino was being shut for two days so that it could be thoroughly disinfected. He purportedly stated that the tribe had moreover canceled all community events on its 172,000-acre reservation for a week and temporarily closed its cultural institute, education facility and community center.

Unknown origin:

The news service reportedly explained the infected employee had worked in a confined area of the tribe’s casino operation that did not involve contact with the general public. However, it also pronounced that the man had attended a youth basketball game in the nearby Oregon town of Weston on Saturday in advance of seeking medical help.

Sams reportedly proclaimed…

“I think people have very strong concerns with this but the tribe has tried to make sure that people are calm. We’re just trying to make sure that there’s an overabundance of precaution by these closures to clean facilities just so that we can ensure that the disease doesn’t spread.”