LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — One year ago, today the Las Vegas Strip went dark. In an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, all non-essential businesses were ordered to close.
It was an eerie sight. The Las Vegas Strip was basically empty, there were no tourists, and thousands of employees were suddenly out of work.
Casinos were allowed to begin partially reopening in early June 2020 under strict health guidelines and reduced capacity. Some chose to remain partially closed because there wasn’t enough foot traffic.
It’s been a rough year for many businesses with some not surviving the closures and reduced capacity.
Now, a year after the closure, on Monday, businesses were allowed to have 50% capacity.
As of today, all of the Las Vegas Strip casinos have reopened and 40 entertainment shows are back on stage, sporting events are allowing fans and restaurants are seeing more customers.
Analysts predict it will take 18 months to three years for Nevada to reach pre-pandemic levels. This upcoming weekend, is expected to be the busiest in the past year. In fact, last weekend saw the busiest travel day in the entire U.S. since the pandemic started.
