Montco businesses following precautions
Two malls, casino resort shutter for two weeks
The Plymouth Meeting Mall, Willow Grove Park Mall and the Valley Forge Casino Resort are among the businesses that have followed a recommendation from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to close as a precautionary measure due to local cases of COVID-19.
The Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), which owns the malls, made the decision to close the properties for two weeks, effective Friday, “in the interest of the health and safety of our shoppers, store and mall employees,” according to a press release.
“The health and well-being of our shopper and tenant community is our top priority. With that in mind, we have made the difficult decision to heed the recommendation of state officials by closing its Montgomery County malls,” Joseph F. Coradino, CEO of PREIT, said in a statement.
Coradino added that the company continues to follow the issue and guidelines from federal, state and local health officials concerning public spaces, “and urge our customers and tenants to take all known safety precautions to prevent and reduce the risk of illness and the spread of disease.”
Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday ordered schools and other facilities in Montgomery County to close. The county, with more than 800,000 people, has been hardhit by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Wolf’s order regarding Montgomery County took effect on Friday, and lasts at least two weeks for all schools, as well as community centers, day cares, gyms and entertainment venues.
He also urged “nonessential” retail establishments in the county to close.
The King of Prussia Mall, Montgomery Mall in North Wales and Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick remained open as of Friday afternoon. The shopping centers posted updates on their websites, indicating that the malls are staying open for their retailers — leaving it up to the retailers to decide whether to stay open or close.
“With respect to Governor Wolf’s statement, the Governor did not mandate store closures and did not define what nonessential retail is,” the statements on the websites read. The company said it continues to monitor the situation closely, “and will comply with any federal, state or local government requirements as they arise.”
The malls are owned by Simon Property Group.
Also announcing its closure was Valley Forge Casino Resort, owned by Boyd Gaming Corp., which said the property will remain closed from Friday, March 13 until Friday, March 27, in compliance with the governor’s directive.
According to a press release, customers with reservations at Valley Forge Casino Resort during the closure period should call 610-354-8118 for further information and assistance.
“The safety and well-being of our team members and customers is our utmost priority. Starting in February, Boyd Gaming has been following stringent CDC-recommended protocols at its properties nationwide, including frequent handwashing by team members, increased placement of hand sanitizers and increased sanitation of frequently-touched surfaces,” the press release stated, adding that there have been no reported cases at the property.
Boyd Gaming has told employees at Valley Forge Casino Resort that they will be paid during the closure, according to spokesman David Strow.
“We will be making those arrangements,” Strow said. “We understand this is disruptive to them and we have kept that in mind.”
The company stated it is monitoring developments related to COVID-19, and directed those looking for more information to visit https://www.boydgaming. com/news/coronavirus
No information was available from PREIT about the number of mall employees that may be impacted by the closures.
In an update, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, has announced its closure. The announcement followed one earlier in the week that the venue planned to stay open.
The Expo Center made the announcement on its website.
“The Governor has ordered (a) county-wide shut down of entertainment events for 14 days from Friday, March 13, 2020. This includes the Expo Center. We will post updates as they occur,” the statement read.
A listing of the cancelled events is available on the Expo Center’s website.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.