Las Vegas Sands plans to use thermal cameras to conduct temperature checks on guests arriving at the company’s Venetian and Palazzo casino hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.
In line with measures Wynn Resorts publicized late last month, LVS will deploy the cameras at every entry point and require secondary screenings for anyone registering a temperature higher than 100 degrees. Those confirmed with a high fever will “undergo further medical assessment and be directed to appropriate medical care,” the company said.
The company also plans to employ a team of 25 emergency medical technicians, with eight on duty at all times at the two resorts, and employees will undergo safety, sanitation and response training and will wear protective equipment according to their responsibilities.
Hotel rooms will be equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, latex gloves and protective face masks, although guests won’t be required to wear them.
The suite of any guest who tests positive for the Covid-19 virus will be removed from service and undergo cleaning by a third-party expert
Other measures will include greater spacing between slot machines and table games to adhere to best practices for social distancing, and elevators will be limited to four passengers at a time.
Casino chips in play will be disinfected every two hours, and electrostatic sprayers will apply hospital-grade disinfectant on high-touch surfaces during off-peak hours. UV lights will be used to decontaminate shipments arriving and leaving receiving docks, mailrooms and warehouse spaces and on hotel equipment like baggage carts.
The state Gaming Control Board is developing guidelines for this month’s expected casino reopenings that could include restricting admissions and occupancy, though details hadn’t been released as of last week.
Control Board Chairwoman Sandra Morgan said gaming operators are being consulted on the plans.
LVS, in the meantime, said it will continue to pay its 10,000 Venetian and Palazzo employees through May 17 and also will pay some 1,200 people left without jobs when the resorts’ 14 third-party restaurants were closed.
Wynn Resorts and Station Casinos are the only Nevada operators still paying workers during the state-imposed shutdown, now in its seventh week.
LVS is reported to be spending around $12 million a day to maintain its properties during the closure. The company’s balance sheet had $2.6 billion as of March 31 and access to almost $4 billion through lines of credit.
