The Mayor of Las Vegas Carolyn Goodman has come in for some heavy criticism after suggesting that workers in Las Vegas should become a ‘control group’ in an experiment to see if social distancing measures are effective. Casinos and other businesses in Las Vegas, indeed the entire state of Nevada have been closed for several weeks, as the state like the rest of the US tries to get the current Covid-19 pandemic under control.
Goodman in her position as Mayor of Las Vegas has continually called for businesses, in particular the casinos, to be allowed to reopen. In interviews with CNN and other outlets, Goodman has reasserted her view, telling MSNBC: “Let the businesses open, and competition will destroy that business if, in fact, they become evident that they have the disease.”
Whilst speaking with KTNV-TV she further elaborated on this, by stating: “In my opinion, you have to go ahead and open the economy. Every day you get up, it’s a gamble.”
Such views though have riled up many people, in a state that has reported over 4,600 Covid-19 infections and caused the deaths of 206 people at the time of writing this article. In particular the Secretary Treasurer of the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226, released a strongly worded statement against the Mayor’s suggestion. In it, it read: “Workplaces need to be safe and healthy – not a petri dish.”
Furthermore Nevada state governor Steve Sisolak in a rebuttal of Mayor Goodman’s suggestion, stated that he would not allow Nevada residents: “to be used as a control group, as a placebo, whatever she wants to call it.”
Last week the Nevada Gaming produced an 18 point memo with a list of procedures that casinos in the state would have to meet, before they would be allowed to open again, once the lockdown in place in the state has been relaxed.
