Las Vegas COVID Update
The COVID-19 pandemic continues, disrupting the lives of individuals and forcing many businesses to close their doors. Cities such as Las Vegas and Macau, which rely on casinos and large crowds for their economic livelihood, have been hit harder than most.
Las Vegas re-opened on June 4th, following two months where even their famous Strip went dark. However, they’ve faced an endless series of challenges ever since, as both people and places have struggled to survive.
For more on the current state of Las Vegas during the coronavirus pandemic, please see the following article.
Most Contagious Locations?
On Tuesday, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services reported the total number of COVID cases in the state at 76,298. There have been 1,546 fatalities, with 1,343 of those taking place in Clark County (home of Las Vegas).
Contact tracing is constantly underway to pinpoint the places with the highest rate of infection. While this can be a difficult task, here’s a list of the 10 most common locations for people to report visiting prior to testing positive:
10. New York New York
9. Spacecraft Components Corp.
8. Caesars Palace
7. Wynn Las Vegas
6. Allegiant Stadium
5. St Joseph Transitional Rehab
4. The Venetian
3. MGM Grand Hotel
2. Bellagio
1. Cosmopolitan
Based on data from the state’s Mitigation and Management Task Force, it appears that up to 26% of the county’s infected may have contracted the illness at a hotel, motel or casino. That’s sobering when you consider that 903 commercial and tribal casinos are currently open across America (with another 90 waiting to resume operations).
Infections among Casino Employees
Las Vegas Sands, which owns the Palazzo and Venetian properties, have revealed that 424 employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. Of that number, 399 became infected after the casinos re-opened in June.
Meanwhile, the Wynn Las Vegas has reported 548 cases among their employees. That’s a positivity rate of 3.6%, with 497 coming after the June re-opening.
According to the Cosmopolitan, which ranked tops on the list above, “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our guests and employees.” However, a couple of anonymous employees seem to disagree.
One spoke to The Daily Beast and said, “I’ve heard players saying that they like Cosmo better since we opened, because we have the fewest rules.” Meanwhile, an ex-employee who quit in June cited a lack of Plexiglas protection and crowded shuttle rides at the end of a shift.
NFL Fines Coaches
This year, the Raiders franchise of the National Football League officially relocated from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. While they’ve started the season undefeated, the team recently made headlines for an unrelated reason.
On Tuesday, it was reported that five teams and their respective coaches were being fined. Each team would be penalized $250,000, while the individual coaches would have to pay $100,000.
The fines were levied because certain coaches failed to wear mandatory face coverings during their games. This group included Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), Jon Gruden (Las Vegas Raiders), Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos), Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers) and Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks).
Oddly, two of the above coaches have already been diagnosed with COVID-19. In March, Sean Payton became the first NFL figure to admit to infection. Later in the summer, Raiders coach Jon Gruden also contracted the illness.
During a postgame interview, Gruden was asked about the infraction. He responded, “I’m doing my best. I’ve had the virus, OK? I’m doing my best. I’m very sensitive about it, but I’m calling plays. I just want to communicate these situations. I apologize.”
Wal-Mart Using Drones to Deliver Test Kits
Retail giant Wal-Mart announced that, starting Tuesday, it would be using drones to deliver COVID-19 testing kits to North Las Vegas. Individuals must live within one mile of a designated store, and they can receive a testing kit via drone in the backyard or driveway. After using the enclosed nasal swab, the test can be mailed to a nearby facility for analysis.
Additional Reading
For more news about global and Australian gambling, please see the following:
