

Las Vegas, historically one of the most popular destinations in the U.S. for both business and leisure travel, has been effectively shut down because of COVID-19 since mid-March, as casinos and hotels along the strip shut their doors to help slow the spread of the virus.

Now, a month later, executives of major properties are trying to determine when hotels and casinos along the strip and elsewhere could open.

In a 23-page plan released on Sunday, the CEO of Wynn Resorts called for the conditional reopening of the Las Vegas Strip in mid- to late May.

Matt Maddox, who served as Wynn’s president since 2013 and took office as CEO in February 2018 following the resignation of Steve Wynn, shared a comprehensive plan to re-open the Las Vegas Strip and Nevada's economy, noting that “Nevada will likely be one of the hardest hit states in the nation and suffer very high unemployment. It is imperative to flatten this curve so we can re-emerge in a safe, sustainable way.”

Several major steps will need to be taken to “recover and reopen” Las Vegas, including focusing on testing capabilities, reopening “parts” of the local Nevada economy in early May, and modeling experts should continue to observe testing velocity, hospitalizations and deaths while providing full transparency to the public.

If these benchmarks are met come mid- to late-May, Maddox believes the Las Vegas strip should slowly begin to reopen “with extensive safety measures in place.”

Maddox said the main obstacle will be ensuring widespread testing, though he expects that will happen “over the coming weeks,” with state, medical community, task force and resort industry leaders “all focused on ways to vastly enhance testing.”

As for Wynn Resorts, the Wynn Health and Sanitization Program outlines new guidelines that will be put in place, including the use of thermal cameras to steer away people with high temperatures; altered layouts to ensure social distancing; and masks worn by all employees.

The plan also requires spacing out slot machines, restaurant tables, and pool seating to ensure six feet between each seated group. The check-in area, elevators, lobbies, coffee shops, casual dining and taxi lines will all be clearly marked for appropriate physical distancing.

All Wynn employees “have been given clear instructions on how to respond swiftly” and report all presumed cases of COVID-19 on property to the Southern Nevada Health District. In addition, they will receive training on COVID-19 safety and sanitation protocols with more comprehensive training for teams with frequent guest contact, such as housekeeping and food and beverage.

Other changes made include suspending valet services, no longer having employees open the doors of cars or taxis, and having an employee present on elevators to sanitize the button panels at regular intervals, at least once per hour.

Each guest will receive an amenity bag during check-in containing masks, hand sanitizer and a COVID-19 awareness card, and a spray bottle of sanitizer or wipes will be provided in each room.

The new health and safety guidelines rely “on the best available science on sanitization methods in consultation with professional infectious disease experts,” Maddox said.

Following Gov. Steve Sisolak's order for casinos shut down last month, Wynn closed its Las Vegas casinos on March 17. Maddox said the closures, as well as paying all full-time and part-time employees for 60 days through May 15, is costing the company approximately $3 million per day, for a total of an estimated $180 million for two months.

As of Tuesday, April 21, there are a little more than 3,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nevada, according to the CDC.