COVID task force leader Murren optimistic about Las Vegas recovery

Jim Murren believes Nevada has a lot to look forward to.

It’s been a rough year for the state, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting both fiscal and physical health. But Murren, head of the state’s COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force, sees a light at the end of the tunnel as health and safety standards improve and vaccination deployments accelerate.

“The hope is that we can make Las Vegas, the health (and) safety capital of the world,” he said. “That, I think, is going to help consumer confidence, which will bring people back” to Las Vegas.

Nevada has struggled under the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state has a 15.5 percent positivity rate as of Monday, according to state data. It ranks second among states for vaccinations per 100,000 residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Johns Hopkins University data shows Clark County ranks 11th for COVID-19 deaths among all U.S. counties.

Looking forward

But Murren remains optimistic, especially now that the country’s inoculation strategy has shifted under President Joe Biden’s administration.

“I’m a big fan of the current president,” Murren, the former CEO of MGM Resorts International, told the Review-Journal. “I have great confidence and comfort in the national response to this pandemic, finally, after a series of inexcusable blunders over the last year. So I just feel like we’re going to get a lot more vaccines into the state. … The amount of supply nationwide is increasing.”

More than 59.3 million doses have been delivered, with 42.4 million of those administered as of Monday, according to the CDC. Data shows the pace of inoculations has been steadily rising, from 8,285 doses administered on Dec. 14 to more than 38 million on Feb. 3.

Murren expects vaccination deployments to pick up even more next month. By the time fall rolls around, he believes there will be enough shots in arms to allow fans in the seats of a variety of venues, including sporting events and concerts.

Things should only continue to improve from there, he said.

“I don’t expect 2022 to be perfect, but I think we’re going to continue to find a way in increasing occupancy in Las Vegas back to what we know it to be,” he said.

Progress

A series of changes will be needed to take place in order for Nevada to adopt the health and safety capital moniker.

Murren pictures venues maintained “at an elite level” compared to other parts of the world, and visitors taking tests both before they arrive and once they land in Las Vegas — possibly at hotel-resorts. International travelers are required to get tested before entering the U.S., but federal officials are considering extending the mandate to domestic flyers.

Murren said work is already being done to improve COVID-19 health and safety standards, with many of the developments so far taking place behind the scenes.

“We’re gonna have a few more months of frustration that it doesn’t feel like we’re making as much progress as we are, meaning it won’t be as visible,” he said. “But a lot of work is being done to get all the facilities, the hardware software in place to make sure that we can (bring back visitors) safely.”

About 1.2 million visitors came to Las Vegas in December, a 64 percent drop compared with the same period last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Brian Labus, an assistant professor in epidemiology at UNLV and a member of the medical team advising Gov. Steve Sisolak, said that becoming the health and safety capital would be a tremendous undertaking for Las Vegas, a city that relies on tourism and large events.

“The way we typically interact with people in Las Vegas is not one that stops the spread of COVID,” he said. “We want people in close contact, we want big events, we want nightclubs. … How do we let people interact, but do it in a way that’s safe? That’s something we haven’t quite figured out yet.”

Casino floors in Nevada are currently maxed at 25 percent capacity. Operators have put other strict health and safety measures in place such as temperature checks and increased cleaning, but Labus said those steps can only help so much. He added that additional measures, such as banning indoor smoking, could help customer safety but take a hit to company’s bottom lines.

No matter what Las Vegas does to guarantee health and safety among its guests, Labus said it’s an even bigger feat to convince people that they’ll be safe on their way to Las Vegas.

“What we do here, it’s not going to change the fact that they have to leave their house, travel with other people,” he said. “I don’t think Las Vegas has ever shied away from doing what we can to make it safe, but sometimes it’s difficult. … The pandemic is one of those times.”

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.