Las Vegas resorts already booking rooms despite shutdown being extended two weeks


  • Slide 1 of 46: No traffic on the Las Vegas Strip was unheard of before the pandemic.

  • Slide 2 of 46: The intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road was considered busy before COVID-19.  Not it's empty.

  • Slide 3 of 46: Escalators are shut down and blocked.

  • Slide 4 of 46: Las Vegas Boulevard overpasses that were once packed with tourists are empty.


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  • Slide 5 of 46: The courtyard outside Caesars Palace is usually booming with activity.

  • Slide 6 of 46: Walkers must take the stairs.

  • Slide 7 of 46: Escalators are shut down and blocked.

  • Slide 8 of 46: The entrance to the Bellagio is boarded up.

  • Slide 9 of 46: The entrance to the Bellagio is boarded up.


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  • Slide 10 of 46: Norm Ayala, a McDonald's worker, documents the still waters of Fountains At Bellagio for his social media audience.

  • Slide 11 of 46: "If I wasn't hopeful, I wouldn't be out here showing people what's out here," Ayala said.

  • Slide 12 of 46: The Fountains At Bellagio are turned off.

  • Slide 13 of 46: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers walk a section the Strip alongside the Fountains at Bellagio.

  • Slide 14 of 46: The walkway running past the the Fountains of Bellagio is usually packed with tourists.


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  • Slide 15 of 46: The staircase outside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood was one of the busiest spots on the Las Vegas Strip.

  • Slide 16 of 46: A sign inside the Miracle Mile Shops.

  • Slide 17 of 46: Walkers take advantage of the empty Strip.

  • Slide 18 of 46: A pedestrian pathway near the Miracle Mile Shops outside Planet Hollywood is usually one of the busiest on the Las Vegas Strip.

  • Slide 19 of 46: A worker sweeps up saw dust after boarding up the Sephora at the Miracle Mile Shops.

  • Slide 20 of 46: A woman wearing a mask waits for a bus.

  • Slide 21 of 46: A woman wearing a mask waits for a bus.

  • Slide 22 of 46: The Las Vegas Strip running north.

  • Slide 23 of 46: Walkers wait to cross the naked Strip.

  • Slide 24 of 46: Self-park at the Bellagio.

  • Slide 25 of 46: The casino at Paris is blocked off.

  • Slide 26 of 46: The courtyard outside the Flamingo – an iconic Strip property – is empty.

  • Slide 27 of 46: The courtyard outside the Flamingo – an iconic Strip property – is empty.

  • Slide 28 of 46: The shops outside Bally's are lifeless.

  • Slide 29 of 46: The shops outside Bally's are lifeless.

  • Slide 30 of 46: The only place open on this side of the Strip: Ben & Jerry's.

  • Slide 31 of 46: No traffic on the Las Vegas Strip was unheard of before the pandemic.

  • Slide 32 of 46: Casinos displayed messages to people passing by.

  • Slide 33 of 46: The Mirage.

  • Slide 34 of 46: The Circus Circus entrance is blocked.

  • Slide 35 of 46: The Circus Circus entrance is blocked.

  • Slide 36 of 46: The High Roller has been powered off.

  • Slide 37 of 46: Dino's Lounge, a place open 24 hours, is closed.

  • Slide 38 of 46: Fremont Street is virutally empty.

  • Slide 39 of 46: The Fremont Street Experience is closed.

  • Slide 40 of 46: The intersection of Fremont and 6th streets is empty.

  • Slide 41 of 46: Fremont Street Experience is closed.

  • Slide 42 of 46: The entrance of Fremont Street Experience is blocked.

  • Slide 43 of 46: A skateboarder rolls across the empty intersection near El Cortez.

  • Slide 44 of 46: Shops closed on Fremont Street East.

  • Slide 45 of 46: A security guard patrols a blocked off Fremont Street Experience.

  • Slide 46 of 46: Fremont Street East is quiet in the time of COVID-19.

Full screen

1/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

No traffic on the Las Vegas Strip was unheard of before the pandemic.

2/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road was considered busy before COVID-19.  Not it’s empty.

3/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Escalators are shut down and blocked.

4/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Las Vegas Boulevard overpasses that were once packed with tourists are empty.

Slideshow continues on the next slide

5/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The courtyard outside Caesars Palace is usually booming with activity.

6/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Walkers must take the stairs.

7/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Escalators are shut down and blocked.

8/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The entrance to the Bellagio is boarded up.

9/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The entrance to the Bellagio is boarded up.

Slideshow continues on the next slide

10/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Norm Ayala, a McDonald’s worker, documents the still waters of Fountains At Bellagio for his social media audience.

11/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

“If I wasn’t hopeful, I wouldn’t be out here showing people what’s out here,” Ayala said.

12/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Fountains At Bellagio are turned off.

13/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers walk a section the Strip alongside the Fountains at Bellagio.

14/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The walkway running past the the Fountains of Bellagio is usually packed with tourists.

Slideshow continues on the next slide

15/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The staircase outside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood was one of the busiest spots on the Las Vegas Strip.

16/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A sign inside the Miracle Mile Shops.

17/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Walkers take advantage of the empty Strip.

18/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A pedestrian pathway near the Miracle Mile Shops outside Planet Hollywood is usually one of the busiest on the Las Vegas Strip.

19/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A worker sweeps up saw dust after boarding up the Sephora at the Miracle Mile Shops.

20/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A woman wearing a mask waits for a bus.

21/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A woman wearing a mask waits for a bus.

22/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Las Vegas Strip running north.

23/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Walkers wait to cross the naked Strip.

24/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Self-park at the Bellagio.

25/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The casino at Paris is blocked off.

26/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The courtyard outside the Flamingo – an iconic Strip property – is empty.

27/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The courtyard outside the Flamingo – an iconic Strip property – is empty.

28/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The shops outside Bally’s are lifeless.

29/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The shops outside Bally’s are lifeless.

30/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The only place open on this side of the Strip: Ben & Jerry’s.

31/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

No traffic on the Las Vegas Strip was unheard of before the pandemic.

32/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Casinos displayed messages to people passing by.

33/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Mirage.

34/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Circus Circus entrance is blocked.

35/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Circus Circus entrance is blocked.

36/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The High Roller has been powered off.

37/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Dino’s Lounge, a place open 24 hours, is closed.

38/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Fremont Street is virutally empty.

39/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The Fremont Street Experience is closed.

40/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The intersection of Fremont and 6th streets is empty.

41/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Fremont Street Experience is closed.

42/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

The entrance of Fremont Street Experience is blocked.

43/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A skateboarder rolls across the empty intersection near El Cortez.

44/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Shops closed on Fremont Street East.

45/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

A security guard patrols a blocked off Fremont Street Experience.

46/46 SLIDES

© Ed Komenda / Reno Gazette Journal

Fremont Street East is quiet in the time of COVID-19.

46/46 SLIDES

LAS VEGAS – Nevada has extended its sweeping COVID-19 closure, keeping the Vegas Strip – the state’s central economic engine – shut down an extra two weeks, through April 30. 

But resorts are still taking reservations in anticipation of a reopening. 

“We want to be in a position to accept business at the point it is deemed appropriate to reopen,” said Caesars Entertainment spokesman Richard Broome.

Casesars closed nine properties on Las Vegas Boulevard – the iconic Flamingo and Caesars Palace among them – on March 18, when Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak  ordered the statewide shutdown of all casinos and other nonessential businesses to stem the spread of COVID-19. 

The number of cases and deaths has since accelerated: Early Wednesday, health officials revealed numbers had ballooned to 1,279 positive test results and 31 deaths.

By mid-morning, Sisoslak extended the shutdown to April 30 and ordered Nevadans to stay at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Casino companies like Caesars and Wynn had been accepting room bookings on resort websites after April 17 – the end of Nevada’s first closure order.

Now, major companies along the Strip – MGM Resorts, Caesars, Wynn and Las Vegas Sands – are taking reservations starting May 1.

But companies are also prepared for the state to issue another extension as the contagious respiratory disease continues to sicken residents throughout the world.

 “This date is subject to change.” Venetian spokesman Keith Salowski said in an email to the USA TODAY Network.

a.

“We would release reservations if or when it becomes clear that the Governor intends to extend, or announces an extension of, the order,” Broome said of bookings at Caesars properties.

Any reservations made at MGM Resort properties before May 1 will be automatically canceled and fully refunded. No action is required by guests, the company said. They will be notified through email about the refund.  

The hotel-casino closures have led to unparalleled job losses throughout Nevada.

The Silver State recorded its largest percentage jump in weekly unemployment claims in more than three decades just a few days before Sisolak’s initial call for the closure of the state’s casinos and non-essential businesses.

a sign on the side of a building: The Las Vegas Strip is empty on March 20, 2020.

The spike in statewide claims is unprecedented, reaching a level more than 10 times that seen during the Great Recession. Statewide, more than 92,000 people sought unemployment benefits last week.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. could reach a staggering 32.1% in the second quarter as 47 million workers are laid off amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to USA TODAY. 

That would be the highest jobless rate on records dating to 1948 and easily top the 25% rate during the Great Depression.

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network. Do you care about democracy? Then support local journalism by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal right here. 

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