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Gov. Steve Sisolak Is Pressed To Open Up How Casinos Lead To Covid-19 Outbreak

Article by : Helen Sep 2, 2020

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Updated: Apr 6, 2023

Rising cases of coronavirus infection could lead to an official investigation and results released by state authorities. Following a recent exposure by The Daily Beast, the Governor of Nevada said the state could collect data on possible coronavirus infection sources. The unofficial investigation primarily concerned the Cosmopolitan hotel, which is located in Las Vegas. After a series of anonymous interviews with the gambling house staff, the situation looks genuinely frightening.

On condition of anonymity, employees of a land-based casino claim that they face a complete lack of compliance with security measures daily. This is primarily due to the stubbornness of the visitors themselves. They radically abandon the use of personal protective masks while staying in gambling halls.

The same applies to non-compliance with the security procedure on the part of the casino employees themselves. According to anonymous sources, there have been cases when personnel infected with Covid-19 returned to their workplaces a few days later. The most difficult situations arise on weekends. The gaming halls are packed to capacity. It seems that the management of gambling establishments is well aware of this and does not comply with the 50% load requirement.

Analysts say that many casinos fully comply with all the requirements put forward by state authorities. Though, the Cosmopolitan Hotel is far from the only gambling operator who has decided to abandon security measures to profit during the rampant Covid-19 pandemic.

The main problem is that the casino has completely forgotten about such a norm as social distancing. Instead, a land-based casino gathers enormous crowds of people in gambling halls. As a result, it violates every imaginable and unimaginable boundary.

The Governor has already announced that he is continuously under pressure from the public to identify and disclose casino data that contributes to the spread of Covid-19. Steve Sisolak added that if such egregious cases are classified, the state will consider the option of permanently closing a particular gambling establishment.

The problem is that if the regulator is about to track possible sources of infection with Covid-19, then this can cover those casinos that fully meet the safety criteria. Visitors infected with the coronavirus can point to 10 or even 20 places which they managed to visit during one evening. Therefore, the authorities need to be especially careful before making final conclusions about the infection’s possible source. This way, the state can avoid a situation where false information could damage a business’s reputation.

The process of tracking the infection will not give a complete picture of what is actually happening in gambling establishments. Recent research has shown that guests who have visited Las Vegas may already have been infected with Covid-19 in their home states. Thus, it is almost impossible to detect the primary source of infection. Steve Sisolak has already made it mandatory for all residents to wear protective face masks in all public places, including casinos and hotels. Such a move was supposed to slow the rate of spread of the coronavirus. Nevada was one of the first to introduce requirements for wearing face masks in casino gaming halls.

It is noteworthy that Caesars Entertainment almost immediately obliged its visitors to use protective covers on all premises. The exception can only apply when visitors are eating, drinking, or smoking. Despite this, after the restart of gambling houses, a few weeks later, the US authorities announced anti-records for the number of Covid-19 infections during the day. It looks like the governor has a lot of work to do before the state can return to normal.