Fear and Furlough in Las Vegas

I never once thought in my life that something as big as COVID-19 could cause a near-collapse of the whole hospitality industry. There are casinos on the strip like the Flamingo and Caesars Palace that have had their doors open for well over 50 years. In a town that operates 24/7, 365 days a year, it’s truly devastating that this city has been shut down. View photos of a dark Caesars Palace from News3LV.com

Like many others in Vegas, I have been furloughed from my job. This means that I am on a temporary layoff due to the lack of work. Understandably, we shouldn’t be marketing when all of our properties across the country are closed.

In my spare time, I decided to safely take a drive down the strip (without getting out of my car) a few weeks into the quarantine. There weren’t very many people walking around. However, there were plenty of cars, bicyclists, police, and construction making the epic-center of entertainment still feel a tiny bit lively. View my dashboard footage below:

Where do we go from here?

While we are still amidst this chaos, I think many people are wondering how we can safely open up hotels, casinos, and restaurants again. The mayor of Las Vegas has been advocating to open up immediately, but she has no jurisdiction over the Las Vegas Strip. Nor does she have any actual plan to help all of these businesses safely open. I’ve seen photos of “sneeze guards” that may be added to poker tables, and slot machines. I’ve also read stories about thermal cameras being added to casino floors as well.

How do we go about making people feel safe at concerts, conventions, and just being in a busy, travel destination in general? I guess time will only tell! For now, I plan to keep my face mask on and continue to self-distance. Stay safe out there, people!