In Michigan and the 400-room Greektown Casino-Hotel has reportedly opened its doors for free to local police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who may be worried about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Monday report from The Detroit News newspaper, the downtown Detroit casino is making 40 rooms on two of its 30 floors available so as to help such first responders stay away from home so that they will not spread the potentially-deadly illness amongst family and friends.

Empty accommodation:

The newspaper reported that the highly-contagious coronavirus strain has so far killed some 197 people across ‘The Wolverine State’ while the 19-year-old Greektown Casino-Hotel has been shuttered ever since Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer imposed a shelter-in-place order last week. The property run by Penn National Gaming Incorporated purportedly also revealed that any guests taking advantage of its offer will be required to supply their own food although a local laundrette has agreed to donate clean towels and sheets.

Additional assessment:

Marvin Beatty, Greektown Casino-Hotel’s Community Relations and Public Affairs Vice-President, reportedly told The Detroit News that his venue moreover intends to utilize no-touch thermometers to check the temperatures of departing or entering guests with anyone subsequently contracting coronavirus being asked to leave.

Beatty reportedly told the newspaper…

“There are so many first responders who are out there working and coming in contact with a lot of people. We’re providing them a safe place to go instead of going home and potentially exposing their families.”

Suffering services:

Craig Miller, President for the Detroit Police Officers Association union, reportedly told the newspaper that local law enforcement has been hit hard by the coronavirus strain with some 39 members having so far tested positive. He purportedly furthermore disclosed that the illness recently killed the Michigan city’s top homicide detective as well as a civilian 911 dispatcher and has led to the quarantining of 21 members of the Detroit Fire Department.

Miller reportedly told The Detroit News…

“We discussed this with the mayor on Friday because one of our concerns is officers who are scared to go home. It’s nice that they’re giving those officers a place to stay during this crisis. Right now, we have to keep our citizens calm and we also have to keep our officers calm.”

Unpleasant position:

The New York Times newspaper reported yesterday that Michigan is currently fourth behind New York, California and New Jersey in terms of known cases of coronavirus at over 6,500 with almost 80% of these being in metropolitan Detroit. The growing illness has additionally purportedly led approximately 500 police officers for the city of some 670,000 residents alongside numerous doctors, nurses and emergency medical technicians to go into self-isolation.

Prevalent paucity:

Mayor Mike Duggan reportedly told the newspaper that he suspects Detroit’s international airport with its many flights from overseas may have contributed to the prevalence of coronavirus although local resident Dale Rich is said to have pointed the finger of blame square at the widespread presence of generational poverty.

Dale reportedly told The New York Times…

“If you see prosperity when you go downtown but every other house of your street is abandoned or falling down, you’re maybe not going to break your neck looking for hand sanitizer. This virus is odorless, colorless and tasteless and that renders it almost unreal. So, if we’re hungry or trying to find rent, it’s going on the back burner.”