Patrick Duffy Bingo

The Coronavirus has already been described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an international crisis, and the number of deaths from it have been on the increase day by day. And while some countries have been affected in much larger ways than others, it remains as an active issue around the globe. Italy, for example, has gone into lockdown, having recorded more than 9,000 infections and 463 deaths altogether.

Those most at risk from Coronavirus include the elderly and those who already suffer from respiratory problems. So, how could this affect bingo halls? Well, when you consider that a large number of people who visit land-based bingo halls are the elderly and that it’s a contagious virus, those same bingo halls could become locations where the virus could swiftly spread between people.

As it happens, some bingo players have already been affected by it. Dozens of gamers were ordered into quarantine after a single one of them was confirmed to have the disease. Card-markers at the Royal British Club in Hindhead, Surrey were ordered into self-isolation for a two-week period, following one player unwittingly contracting Coronavirus prior to attending a bingo game. Public health officials have refused to name the person, but they are known to be a member of the Club, which has assured its remaining members not to panic over the situation, as they have things under control following a deep clean of the premises.

Victoria Principal

Of course, the elderly are also suspected to be more at risk of having respiratory problems already, so Coronavirus poses quite the issue for that generation. So, the question is, what can bingo halls do to halt the spread of the virus? Have any processes already been put in place so as to combat it?

Norfolk Bingo Hall Incorporates Precautions

A short promo for BINGO America with Patrick Duffy. Created and produced by Andrew Glassman, the show was originally hosted by Patrick Duffy and Crystal Wallasch. When its second season premiered on October 6, 2008, they were replaced by Richard Karn and Diane Mizota, respectively. See full list on gameshows.fandom.com. CBS later picked it up and it got cancelled in a year. He did other roles later on and then Bingo America came along in 2008. Now, Patrick Duffy, to my knowledge has never appeared on a game show. So, he was a major unknown when it came to hosting.

One bingo hall that has taken it upon itself to introduce certain precautions for its players is the Palace Bingo Hall in Norfolk. This seaside establishment has taken to testing the temperatures of its customers as they arrive to participate in bingo within the hall. Any visitors who arrive at Palace Bingo and have a temperature above 37.4 degree will not be permitted to enter the premises. These measures have been firmly in place since Friday, February 28 – although as yet, staff have not had to turn any players away.

Speaking of the decision to do this, the Managing Director of Palace Bingo, Patrick Duffy said that he believes every business has a duty of care towards its customers. “Particularly in the afternoon, there might be at least 60 to 70 people in [the hall], so we do no allow people in that may have a virus.”

Mr Duffy himself was in Singapore himself just a month ago, and he was also in Hong Kong in 2003 when the SARS outbreak took hold. It is from his time in Singapore that Mr Duffy has taken the idea to test everyone’s temperature at his Norfolk bingo hall, and he said that the response to it from players has been mostly positive. Furthermore, he has taken to having the hall deep-cleaned every morning.

Online Bingo Could See a Rise in Players

Patrick Duffy Bingo Fundraiser

Patrick Duffy Bingo Cards

Because those infected have been advised to self-isolate already, and because certain others may be hesitant to visit places where crowds can gather, could online bingo find itself being a welcoming recipient of more players? Well, it certainly stands to reason that if players aren’t visiting their usual land-based bingo halls, then perhaps they’ll seek solace in accessing online platforms to play their favourite games instead. It would prove to be a much safer option for such gamers to take.

Patrick Duffy Bingo Game

Of course, if people are stuck at home with less to do than they normally would, perhaps even those people who don’t frequent bingo halls will find themselves checking out online gaming sites. That can only be a good thing for online bingo operators – although, needless to say, it would be terrible for those operators to want a pandemic to break out just so that they could reap the potential rewards.

Patrick Duffy Palace Bingo

It would be quite the unfortunate outcome for land-based establishments as well, considering that participation in this form of bingo has been on the decline for the past few years anyway. That decline has been due to the preference of some people to play at online bingo sites, so if the Coronavirus becomes even more widespread, then these halls could continue to see their takings decline. Potentially, even more of these brick-and-mortar establishments could find themselves shutting their doors permanently due to this.