1
00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,079
Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is the general manager

2
00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:08,360
Speaker 1: at Mindle Beach Casino Resort, Avril Baines. Good morning, Good.

3
00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,360
Speaker 2: Morning, Katy, and good morning to your listeners.

4
00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,800
Speaker 1: Now, Averil, thanks so much for your time this morning.

5
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,880
Speaker 1: What was your reaction over the weekend when you learned

6
00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,159
Speaker 1: that the casino was identified as a public exposure and

7
00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:20,599
Speaker 1: casual contact site.

8
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,680
Speaker 2: Obesely, Katy, we hoped that we would never be in

9
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,440
Speaker 2: this position, but there's always a risk that this could

10
00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:32,639
Speaker 2: have occurred. So fortunately that initial shocker didn't last very long.

11
00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,599
Speaker 2: We've got procedures in place in case an event like this,

12
00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,160
Speaker 2: and we've had those ever since we reopened back in June,

13
00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:44,080
Speaker 2: So it's just a case of putting those processes into place.

14
00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:47,559
Speaker 1: What steps were taken to close the property.

15
00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,760
Speaker 2: So as soon as we received notification that we were

16
00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,840
Speaker 2: an exposure five, the team followed those procedures. So the

17
00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,640
Speaker 2: immediate steps that we needed to put into place was

18
00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,800
Speaker 2: closing down the proper and community, communicating with our staff,

19
00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,680
Speaker 2: the guests and the patrons, advising them of the Chief

20
00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,320
Speaker 2: Health officers directions.

21
00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, and what I mean, what did the staff and

22
00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,199
Speaker 1: all of you kind of have to do in terms

23
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,759
Speaker 1: of looking after the guests and making sure I suppose

24
00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,520
Speaker 1: that you know that you'd followed all of those rules

25
00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,240
Speaker 1: that they've sort of put in place and their directions.

26
00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,600
Speaker 2: Sure, So we did direct communications both on our Facebook

27
00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,479
Speaker 2: page and face to face and via email and text

28
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,520
Speaker 2: message to our staff and our team members, just providing

29
00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,880
Speaker 2: them with the directions for the chief Health officer and

30
00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:44,200
Speaker 2: the contact numbers, the ability that they could book online

31
00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,520
Speaker 2: for their tests if they needed to self quarantine and

32
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,040
Speaker 2: get tested from there. Obviously, we have a record of

33
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:54,800
Speaker 2: all of our staff who were on site at that period,

34
00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:57,080
Speaker 2: and it being a Friday night, it was one of

35
00:01:57,080 --> 00:01:59,520
Speaker 2: our busiest times, so we did have a large number

36
00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,320
Speaker 2: of staff that were initially impacted by their direction.

37
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, that must make it hard for you, I suppose then, Well,

38
00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,080
Speaker 1: I guess you know at the moment obviously closed, but

39
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,440
Speaker 1: it would make things difficult then when it comes to

40
00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,520
Speaker 1: rostering and waiting for those test results back and all

41
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:15,360
Speaker 1: that kind of stuff.

42
00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,799
Speaker 2: Look, it certainly does give us something additional to think about,

43
00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,720
Speaker 2: but our key priority was obviously the health, wellbeing and

44
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,960
Speaker 2: peace of mind of the staff and guests. So we

45
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,560
Speaker 2: took the opportunity during yesterday's closure to complete an additional

46
00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:36,160
Speaker 2: deep claim on top of our already extensive safety measures

47
00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,359
Speaker 2: that we have in place as part of our play

48
00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,600
Speaker 2: It Safe initiative, And that just gave everybody some breathing

49
00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:46,440
Speaker 2: space to workout if they were impacted by the exposure site.

50
00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,600
Speaker 2: And of course, Katie, wasn't just our exposures. There were

51
00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:53,120
Speaker 2: twenty eight other ones and although our team members might

52
00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:54,840
Speaker 2: not have been working, they might have been out of

53
00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,600
Speaker 2: monsoons enjoying the entertainment there. So we had to go

54
00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,600
Speaker 2: through and double check with the all of the team

55
00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,840
Speaker 2: members as well if they had visited any of the

56
00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,720
Speaker 2: other additional exposure sites. Yeah. So that's all taken place

57
00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,840
Speaker 2: while we've been in that closure period and it's tough going.

58
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,840
Speaker 1: You know, I've no doubt that the closure obviously has

59
00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,520
Speaker 1: an impact on the income of the business, but also

60
00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,679
Speaker 1: the employees. I mean, are you and like you said,

61
00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,600
Speaker 1: there's obviously plenty of other locations who've been impacted as well.

62
00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,080
Speaker 1: But are you annoyed that one person can sort of

63
00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,680
Speaker 1: break the rules across the border and leave the top

64
00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:29,800
Speaker 1: end in this situation?

65
00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:37,680
Speaker 2: Oh? I can certainly understand the community frustration around that. Yes,

66
00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,960
Speaker 2: I think it's something that we don't know what was

67
00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,520
Speaker 2: going on in someone's mind at the time, so I

68
00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,920
Speaker 2: haven't spent much time reflecting on one person. I have

69
00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,280
Speaker 2: our staff and our patrons and they need my attention

70
00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,560
Speaker 2: and focus more than one visitor from cans.

71
00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,400
Speaker 1: Hey, how long are you expecting to be closed or

72
00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,760
Speaker 1: when are you hoping to be able to open back up?

73
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,360
Speaker 2: Well, very hopeful that we'll be reopening again this afternoon,

74
00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,360
Speaker 2: so we will be confirming that later during the day.

75
00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,440
Speaker 2: We just want to make sure before we reopen that

76
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,080
Speaker 2: it is a minimal risk to any of our staff

77
00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:17,000
Speaker 2: and patrons, and we're very confident that will be the case. Obviously,

78
00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,240
Speaker 2: we do still have some staff who are waiting on

79
00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,160
Speaker 2: their test results, so I'm looking forward to confirming probably

80
00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,320
Speaker 2: in the middle of the day what our reopening time

81
00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:25,640
Speaker 2: will be.

82
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,800
Speaker 1: Well let us know. Avril Baines, the general manager of

83
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,680
Speaker 1: the Mindle Beach Casino and Resort, really appreciate your time

84
00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,280
Speaker 1: this morning. Thanks for having a chat with us.

85
00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,160
Speaker 2: Fantastic Thank you, Katie, And if I could just quickly

86
00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,520
Speaker 2: thank all of our team who acted so swiftly and

87
00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,200
Speaker 2: professionally to comply with the show's directions, and a thank

88
00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,039
Speaker 2: you to our guests and patrons who showed great understanding

89
00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,560
Speaker 2: when we had to shut early on Saturday night and

90
00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,880
Speaker 2: remain closed for yesterday, so they're tolerance and understandings appreciated.

91
00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:58,960
Speaker 1: Oh good on you, Averril. Thank you so much and

92
00:04:59,000 --> 00:04:59,680
Speaker 1: we'll talk to you again.

93
00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,760
Speaker 2: So fantastic. Thanks Katie, thank you,