Crowds of people flooded the Las Vegas Strip over the weekend, just days before the state’s coronavirus restrictions were eased.
Photos of the large crowds at the country’s gambling mecca began to appear on social media, although capacity restrictions did not reach 50% until Monday, according to Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s “Roadmap to Recovery”.
Several videos in Tiktok showed crowds of people dancing shoulder to shoulder on the Strip, in some cases with drinks in hand or walking to various attractions. However, according to the video clips, the crowds still seemed to obey the mandatory mask mandate.
Before the increase, capacity had been limited to 35%. As of Monday, Sisolak also started to allow organizers to host large gatherings or events, including conferences, conventions and business fairs, with up to 250 people or 50% of capacity, whichever is less.
CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT IS RESUMING LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON LAS VEGAS STRIP
The new rules help revive Nevada’s tourism-based economy.
In fact, Sisolak said Nevada’s heavy reliance on tourism and personal activities like conventions, concerts and trade fairs made the decision to close the economy in March particularly painful.
The state’s unemployment rate reached a national peak of 30.1% in April. The state Economic Forum reported in December that the number of visitors in 2020 had dropped to levels not seen since 1993.
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Now, Sisolak is working to keep residents and tourists safe, while ensuring that the state’s tourism and hospitality industry remains afloat.
“Keep my words: Nevada will be the safest place to hold a convention or visit. It will be safe for tourists; it will be safe for hotel operators and employees and their families,” he said in an interview Friday. “And we will continue to open our economy back.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.