LAS VEGAS (AP) – Nevada reported its first death from the new coronavirus Monday as businesses and schools shut down around the state, including many of the Las Vegas Strip casinos that power the local economy.
Health officials in the Las Vegas area said a man in his 60s who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 had died. The Southern Nevada Health District said the man had underlying health conditions.
Nevada has reported at least 45 cases of the virus so far.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said over the weekend that he and the congressional delegation are asking the U.S. government for more test kits because the state does not have enough.
Sisolak also ordered all public, private and charter K-12 schools to close until at least April 6. School employees will still be paid. State officials say they’re setting up sites at schools where low-income families who rely on free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch programs could pick up food.
Two major casino operators announced over the weekend that they would shut down their properties. Wynn Resorts said in a statement that a two-week closure of the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore would start at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The company said it will keep paying all full-time workers.
MGM Resorts International also announced its 13 Las Vegas properties would suspend operations as of Tuesday, with closures starting Monday at its casino properties like the Mirage and Bellagio. MGM said any laid-off full-time employees would be given two weeks of their normal pay and those with health insurance would keep their coverage through June. The company didn’t have a number of the employees who would be laid off or furloughed.
Nevada’s governor said properties can decide whether to close, but those that remain open must comply with rules like having no more than three chairs at table games and cleaning and sanitizing all gaming machines at least every two hours.
Sisolak said he’s directing officials to close state offices to the public as soon as possible and telling leadership for essential services such as Medicaid to wipe down in-person public surfaces and transition them online as much as possible. He also said the state is initiating a hiring freeze, encouraging state agencies to limit spending to essential emergency purchases and asking cities to enforce 50% or less capacity at public gathering spaces.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.
