Casinos safer than other venues, doctors say

Medical magazine ranks casinos as safer places to go than bars, stadiums or churches during the pandemic.

US.- Casinos have been reopening in some states amid ongoing concerns about health and safety, but now a report says that going to a casino might be safer than many other activities.

The report published by the medical magazine Mass Live found that gambling at a casino might be safer than activities such as having a drink at a bar, playing pickup basketball, and even going to church.

Quoting a group of doctors, the report details rankings given by four public health experts on 36 common activities and how much risk they present for the spread of coronavirus.

Each activity was graded on a scale from zero to ten based on five factors: whether the activity takes place inside or outside; proximity to other people; length of exposure to other people; the likelihood of complaints; and personal risk level.

Drinking at a bar and attending a large music concert topped the list as the riskiest activities, both with a score of 9.

Casinos scored a 6. That makes casinos less safe than going for a walk or buying groceries, but safer than gyms, amusement parks, sporting events, and church services, which scored 8 on the scale

The article said: “Casinos check many of the concerning boxes, like crowds, alcohol, and loud talking. Casinos with more of an open floor plan and other precautions in place will be less risky.”

Larger casinos often have buffets, which were also rated a risk factor of 8, but nearly all casinos that have reopened are keeping their buffets closed for now.

Doctors ranked getting takeout and playing tennis as the safest activities, both scoring 1.