Nevada logs highest U.S. COVID rate as most residents forgo masks, vaccinations and Vegas nightlife returns

Las Vegas casino

Nevada is reporting the highest-in-the nation rate of new COVID-19 cases, just as gambling at Las Vegas prepares for what could be its biggest weekends since reopening.

The state ranked first in the U.S. with almost 112 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average daily hospital admissions have jumped 44% from a week earlier to about 55 a day, with a surprising increase in the 30-to-39-year-old cohort.

The bad news comes just as Las Vegas, one of the top tourist destinations in the country, is seeing a rebound in visitors. Some 2.9 million tourists came to the city in May, a nearly 12% increase from the prior month. About 300,000 more are expected to descend on Las Vegas for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

“There’s a lot of people coming here from all over,” said Michael Gardner, vice dean for clinical affairs for the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “Some of these visitors will be bringing things.”

Nevada is coping with a convergence of factors. The state has a low vaccination rate with fewer than half of its residents receiving at least one dose. That’s coinciding with a return of Las Vegas’s famous nightlife: casinos and restaurants are packed to the point where it’s difficult to even get a reservation, with many locals also enjoying the fun. Masks are rarely worn.

Resorts World, the latest property to open along the Las Vegas Strip, said it’s “solidly booked” this weekend at average room rates not seen even before the pandemic as visitors flood the city.