Las Vegas Casinos Swarmed With Crowds After COVID-19 Restrictions Eased

Despite the coronavirus pandemic continuing to pummel the United States, thousands of residents flooded Las Vegas over the weekend to gamble on social-distancing guidelines after capacity restrictions begin to ease. Photos and videos of the Las Vegas Strip show a slew of guests standing shoulder-to-shoulder just after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed an executive order to increase the capacity from 35 percent to 50 percent. The order, however, begins Monday—a detail that did not seem to deter an influx of visitors. While the majority of these guests appeared to be wearing face masks, casino staff members were seen in various videos reminding people to cover up. So far, 5,118 people have died and 299,287 more have tested positive with COVID-19 in Nevada. “I took a few pictures to send to my son in Chicago, and I said, ‘I can’t believe there are this many people out,’” Laura Amendala told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I couldn’t even get into the Bellagio parking lot to see the botanical garden. It was filled to capacity.”