I Watched COVID-19 Make The Strip Go Dark For The First Time Ever | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
News

I Watched COVID-19 Make The Strip Go Dark For The First Time Ever

There will come a day when we can resurrect the phrase,Viva Las Vegas... right?

87
I Watched COVID-19 Make The Strip Go Dark For The First Time Ever

In This Article:

Before I begin, I would like to make it abundantly clear that in light of where we decided to take our Spring Break family vacation, my family and I have been tested for COVID-19 and our results came back negative.

My family and I had taken a family vacation to Las Vegas before, about eight years ago, when I was about 12 or 13 years old. Of course, my experience of The Strip was limited because I was far from the legal age to participate in anything and everything iconic to Sin City, but it was fun nonetheless. So when my parents asked if I wanted to return almost a decade later now that I'm 21 years old and can get the full Vegas experience, I jumped at the opportunity. At the time, we made our plans when the Coronavirus wasn't as serious as it is now.

We had stayed in Las Vegas for a little less than a week. We did the cliche' touristy things like visiting the Hoover Dam, touring Red Rock Canyon, and spent the rest of our week on The Strip having a mini photo-shoot, getting tattoos, and engaging in less-than-responsible adult activities like drinking in public and gambling. Still, day-by-day, we watched the lights of The Strip slowly dim into nothingness and eventually become a ghost town.


Granted, the Coronavirus caused enough of a scare that countless tourists cancelled their trips and reservations prior to Spring Break, so there were significantly less people than there should've been if COVID-19 wasn't a factor.

If you are following the news, social media, and any and all community and state announcements regarding the Coronavirus, you are more than aware of the toll that this is taking on every major city, especially the ones that rely so heavily on tourism. Everything took a turn for the worst.

Here is the insane 3-day timeline that ceased any and all life in Las Vegas.

Monday, March 16th

The CEO of MGM resorts released a statement that MGM Grand and its connecting resorts such as Encore, Wynn, The Bellagio, The Mirage, Mandalay Bay, and the Luxor would close its casino operations and completely close the properties on Tuesday the 17th.

Tuesday, March 17th

All MGM properties and their exhibits closed. The Governor of Nevada implemented a statewide lockdown lasting a minimum of 30 days. All businesses that are not necessary were required to close during this time. From here, all resorts, hotels, and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip implemented a mandatory shut-down and check-out for all guests the following morning.

Wednesday, March 18th

All tourists and guests were forced to leave the hotels by 11:00 a.m. Thus, the highways filled with heartbroken travellers, hoping to find sanctuary in their home states that inevitably, would not exist.

The Strip, a legendary area in Las Vegas, fell into complete darkness for the first time ever. A city that never sleeps, just like New York City, is in a restless sleep until further notice and it's beyond heartwrenching.


The Coronavirus has gotten extremely out of hand. If anything, it exposed how truly disgusting we are as a species by not practicing basic hygiene like washing your hands. Countless news outlets have made it a repetitive point that social distancing, coughing and sneezing into your arm rather than your hands, avoiding touching your face, and washing your hands is crucial to "flattening the curve" of COVID-19.

We touch hundreds to thousands of objects per day, mostly consisting of doorknobs and handles, toilet handles, and so on, but we never consciously think of how unsanitary these and other common surfaces are until a virus that spreads so easily tries to wipe out humanity.

The moral and lesson of this whole experience: don't be gross, wash your hands, and practice basic hygiene.

Contact your friends, family members, and loved ones to make sure they're okay during this whole fiasco. They need it.

Viva Las Vegas, right?Personal Photo

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
friends
Kristin Buggy

College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. However, it is also one of the toughest transitions to make. There is so much anticipation and excitement leading up to moving into college. It doesn’t truly hit you until move in day when your parents say their final goodbyes and you see their car drive away. You truly are on your own. I was blessed to meet my best friends within the first week of school. Your college friends are so important and here’s why:

Keep Reading...Show less
13 Real Thoughts Every College Student Has At Some Point
Good Call

There are a few thoughts that go through a college student's mind on a day to day basis. Some of those thoughts come from class, some of then come from when you are bored in class. Here are sixteen thoughts that college students think of on a day to day basis.

Keep Reading...Show less
mouse with a cookie

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone does not try to help their self before asking others. How can someone else be expected to help you if you do not first do that yourself? I'm all about helping those that need it when the time comes, however whenever someone does not even attempt to help him or herself first then that becomes a huge problem. As we all have learned, people tend to take advantage of us in one way or another. I am sure we all read this short story when we were younger and it follows that same principle:

Keep Reading...Show less
39 Traits You Know You Have If You're A Libra
Flickr

If you were born between September 23rd - October 22nd, then you are a Libra. Let's be real, Libras are the best because you are the perfect balance of all things in life. Some may find this boring, but they don't know anything about what it means to be all things at once. As Libras, we hold much on our shoulders that no one can understand. These are traits you know to be true if you are a Libra:

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

12 Types Of Drunk Girls You'll See In Every Friend Group

"Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives."

1673
friends
Cloud Front

Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives. Each one of you plays a vital role in making sure the night goes (relatively) smoothly.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments