Just a few days ago, the federal government of the United States provided guidelines that states are to follow in order to reopen and rebuild the economy. The guidelines require that states meet certain requirements before they being a phased approach to opening businesses back up.
For Governor Steve Sisolak, he is taking a slow approach to the process and has no plans to start back up until the state is ready to reopen and move forward safely. This includes keeping casinos closed, despite operators wanting to get back to business.
Extended Shutdown Order
In a press conference this week, Governor Sisolak stated that the shutdown in Nevada will be extended but the date has yet to be determined. Schools have been closed for the remainder of the school year. Some businesses will be allowed to reopen in the future, but not until he has seen a consistent downward decreases in coronavirus cases as well as hospitalizations.
Thank you, @andersoncooper, for allowing me to assure Nevadans — and tourists worldwide — that Nevada is taking deliberate, responsible steps toward reopening. I am grateful to Nevadans who are staying home & I look forward to getting back to business as soon as it’s safe. pic.twitter.com/k4gIxeN15b
— Governor Sisolak (@GovSisolak) April 23, 2020
Right now, the state is not ready to move on to phase one. State officials plan to start phase one once they have seen fourteen days of consistent as well as sustainable downward trends in cases.
Experts feel that it will be some days still before it can be determined if the state is experiencing a downward slope. It is most likely that emergency directives will be extended further than the current April 30th date.
According to Sisolak, the state will be working to provide graphing materials as the plans progress and be transparent as to what is taking place. The governor wants to be able to provide advanced notice if possible as to when the state is turning a corner and when businesses can begin reopening.
The state has seen lower numbers by way of positive cases, hospital stays and deaths when compared to initial projections because people are following social distancing protocols. The governor feels that if protocols are relaxed now, without phasing in, then it could lead to a tidal wave of coronavirus cases.
Wynn Resorts CEO Calls for Reopening
While the governor is taking a slow approach to reopening, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox is calling for the governor to allow casinos to reopen in mid to late May. Maddox would like to see even a conditional opening so that gaming venues can get back to business.
In an opinion piece published online via the Nevada Independent, Maddox stated that safety measures would be put in place if casinos were to open as a precaution. A gradual reopening could take place, beginning with a reduction in occupancy numbers along with physical distancing. Properties could install temperature checks and a ban on large gatherings. Masks could also be worn by those at the venues to ensure safety.
At this point, Wynn is looking to do whatever it can to regain their Vegas revenues since the Coronavirus wreaked havoc on their earnings.
Wynn Resorts has already been working on developing their own strategy when it comes to health and safety measures. Upon reopening, they plan on allowing up to four people in an elevator at one time. They also would have doors to venues propped open, have automatic openings or would manually opened by employees.
A date has not been set by the governor as to when the casinos will be back up and running. Based on what the governor is saying now, it could be a few weeks still before any businesses open up in the state. Only time will tell what will be decided upon. We will stay tuned to any new developments and report on them as information is made public.
