LAS VEGAS — An employee that worked at a casino owned by Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas died after testing positive for COVID-19 according to a statement released by the company.
51-year-old Adolfo Fernandez tested positive for the virus on June 22 and died Wednesday, June 24, his daughter, Irma Fernandez told KVVU-TV. He was a utility porter at one of Caesars’ properties.
The company released a statement on the death of Fernandez Friday:
Sadly, we can confirm that one of our colleagues has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19. We are heartbroken by this development and are expressing our deepest sympathies to their family and friends. While we have not been able to determine how the employee contracted the virus, once the employee informed us about testing positive, the company implemented its protocols to determine who had been in close proximity with this individual at the direction of the Southern Nevada Health District. As a result, a small number of employees were identified to be in this category and are now on paid leave while self-isolating. None of these individuals, to our knowledge, have tested positive at this time. They will not return to work until they obtain a negative test result.
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His family believes that Caesars Entertainment failed to protect employees during the outbreak.
“I am going to fight for justice because he told me constantly that they are not using the correct safety precautions at work. They are not protecting their employees,” Irma Fernandez told KVVU-TV.
On the day that Adolfo Fernandez died, the company implemented a mask policy.
We promised that Caesars would continue to evaluate the latest recommendations, directives and medical science regarding the COVID-19 public health emergency and modify our enhanced health and safety protocols accordingly. As a result, we are immediately requiring everyone in our properties to wear masks, because the scientific evidence strongly suggests that wearing masks and practicing social distancing may be the most important deterrents to spreading COVID-19 from person to person.
— Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment
Over 13,500 cases of the virus have been reported in Nevada, including 489 deaths.
Cox Media Group