Las Vegas Strip tentatively set to reopen June 4

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) said the Las Vegas Strip could tentatively reopen on June 4, a potentially major economic boost to the city amid shutdowns due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Sisolak started the first phase of Nevada’s reopening earlier this month and said a second phase could commence if data on the outbreak continues to be positive. He will hold a briefing next week to provide Nevadans with an update on the pandemic.

“If Nevada’s COVID-19 data continues to reflect positive or consistent trends through the Memorial Day Weekend, the Governor will announce a Phase 2 reopening date at the Tuesday press conference, along with business reopening and statewide continuing operation guidelines,” his office said.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board will also hold an informational workshop to provide an update regarding response measures on the famed strip in Las Vegas that is lined with casinos and hotels and helps power the city and state economies.

“After presentations, the Board will consider any action necessary with regards to reopening plans,” Sisolak’s office said. “Pending the evaluation of trends in Nevada’s COVID-19 data, along with the results of the Gaming Control Board meeting on Tuesday, the Governor has set a target date of June 4, 2020, for reopening Nevada’s gaming industry.” 

The reopening of the strip could prove a potent measure in the state’s effort to fight back against the burgeoning economic fallout of the pandemic, which has produced a litany of business closures and sent tens of millions of people into unemployment.

Nevada had the highest unemployment rate of any state in the country last month, with 28.2 percent of workers without a job — nearly double the national average of 14.7 percent, according to figures released by the Department of Labor on Friday.

Twenty-four casinos on the Las Vegas Strip earned over $72 million in fiscal 2017, according to the Center for Gaming Research. 

Nevada has had more than 7,500 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 380 deaths since the outbreak began.