Hotel workers should get an early shot at COVID-19 inoculation, according to the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Casinos & Gaming
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“The hope is that we can make Las Vegas, the health (and) safety capital of the world,” said Jim Murren, head of the state’s COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force.
A UMC vaccination center equipped to offer hundreds of vaccinations each day will be set up inside the Encore’s convention space.
A second shutdown would have adverse effects on a number of industries within the state, and could push the state into deeper economic trouble.
Labor union members across several industries in Nevada are fighting for the right to return to work.
The Southern Nevada Health District on Wednesday said it no longer recommends people who tested positive for COVID-19 be tested again.
While some guests said they felt completely safe at resort pools, others worry the crowds could further the spread of COVID-19, or say they were turned off by the new protocols.
Experts say the crisis could provide opportunities to those with strong balance sheets, such as Las Vegas Sands Corp., and lead to potential new entrants on the Strip.
“We’ll see some great rates at hotels; we’ll see airfare sales,” travel expert Gabe Saglie said.
There are about 276,300 people working in the state’s tourism industry, according to the Nevada Resort Association. Or, at least there were.
The company’s website showed no open booking dates until June 1 as of Friday afternoon. As recently as Thursday morning, the company was allowing bookings beginning May 1 for its Las Vegas properties.
“If workers aren’t working and not getting paid, they do not pay dues,” union spokeswoman Bethany Khan told the Review-Journal. She added that nearly all of the union’s 60,000 members are laid off.
Some industry associations say there could be improvements made to the bill, but overall the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
With casinos across the country temporarily shut down during the coronavirus crisis, operators are facing a period with zero income and a limited supply of cash.
About 206,000 direct casino employees in Nevada are without work after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s Tuesday mandate, according to the American Gaming Association.