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I'm planning a trip to Las Vegas over Christmas. A family member of mine who lives in the suburbs far from the strip said that crime has really increased in Las Vegas due to the pandemic and that there is a shooting everyday on the strip now. He has told me that him and his wife never go to the strip. How bad has the crime gotten? Is it safe to go to Las Vegas alone and sleep in a hotel off the strip? I got an amazing deal. I was told that hotels are cheap because of the crime and how the strip is empty.
Aside from the crime, what is open and what is closed in Las Vegas? I plan to go into the hotels, walk around the strip, and go to every shopping mall on the strip and in the suburbs. I plan to visit Summerlin as well. Is it worth taking the trip or should I wait until the pandemic is over?
Lastly, what are the restrictions in the state of Nevada? I've heard it is much more uptight than down here in Phoenix, such as not being able to fill a cup yourself, strict mask mandates, and strict social distancing. Phoenix and Arizona have more laidback COVID restrictions.
I haven't been to Vegas since the pandemic hit. But I wouldn't recommend going now.
A lot of what makes Vegas interesting is either show down or highly problematic. I don't think any shows are running. Dining is likely well below it's usual capacity. I don't think all of the properties are even open. It's getting past pool season anyway, and I don't know how Covid effects pool operations or safety. I'm sure I'm missing some other issues.
I'd wait until next summer and see where things stand.
I wouldn't recommend coming here this Christmas. It definitely seems as if crime has increased. I've heard due to cheap rooms being offered.
There are no shows or concerts, restaurants and casinos are at 25% capacity right now. Many hotels are closing down mid-week because they just don't have the tourists to stay open. That could be a problem if these restrictions carry into Christmas week. The governor announced on Nov 22 a three week statewide pause to try to control the rising covid numbers.
Here's the restrictions we are living with right now:
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak strengthened Nevada's mask mandate among other new restrictions announced Sunday as the state tries to halt a recent surge in coronavirus cases.
The new restrictions, referred to as a "statewide pause," go into effect Tuesday and will be in place for three weeks.
"From the start of this pandemic, there aren’t any decisions that don’t have negative consequences. Weighing the loss of jobs and businesses versus the loss of health and lives is painful, without a perfect solution," Sisolak said.
Private gatherings will be limited to ten and can include people from no more than two households. Public gatherings limits will also be reduced from 250 people to 50, including for churches. Masks are required at any time you are around someone not part of your immediate household, including during private gatherings inside and outside.
Other restrictions announced Sunday include:
Reservations are required at all restaurants and bars that serve food for in-person dining. Fast food restaurants and food courts are exempt from the reservation requirement. Restaurant and bar capacity was reduced from 50 to 25 percent, and there can be no more than four patrons at a table.
Capacity at gyms, fitness and dance studios is reduced from 50 to 25 percent. Patrons must wear a mask at all times, unless actively drinking. If the activity is too strenuous to be done while wearing a mask properly, people must seek an alternative.
Casino capacity has been reduced from 50 to 25 percent.
Public gatherings are limited to no more than 50 people, or 25 percent of fire code capacity, whichever is less.
Arcades, art galleries, aquariums, racetracks, bowling alleys, mini golf, libraries, museums and zoos all are reduced to 25 percent capacity.
Big box stores that have more than 50,000 square feet must now have monitors at public entrances to manage capacity.
There will be a pause on adult and youth sports tournaments.
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So who knows if these will be lifted by the time you want to arrive. NV definitely has stricter rules than AZ.
I wouldn't recommend coming here this Christmas. It definitely seems as if crime has increased. I've heard due to cheap rooms being offered.
There are no shows or concerts, restaurants and casinos are at 25% capacity right now. Many hotels are closing down mid-week because they just don't have the tourists to stay open. That could be a problem if these restrictions carry into Christmas week. The governor announced on Nov 22 a three week statewide pause to try to control the rising covid numbers.
Here's the restrictions we are living with right now:
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak strengthened Nevada's mask mandate among other new restrictions announced Sunday as the state tries to halt a recent surge in coronavirus cases.
The new restrictions, referred to as a "statewide pause," go into effect Tuesday and will be in place for three weeks.
"From the start of this pandemic, there aren’t any decisions that don’t have negative consequences. Weighing the loss of jobs and businesses versus the loss of health and lives is painful, without a perfect solution," Sisolak said.
Private gatherings will be limited to ten and can include people from no more than two households. Public gatherings limits will also be reduced from 250 people to 50, including for churches. Masks are required at any time you are around someone not part of your immediate household, including during private gatherings inside and outside.
Other restrictions announced Sunday include:
Reservations are required at all restaurants and bars that serve food for in-person dining. Fast food restaurants and food courts are exempt from the reservation requirement. Restaurant and bar capacity was reduced from 50 to 25 percent, and there can be no more than four patrons at a table.
Capacity at gyms, fitness and dance studios is reduced from 50 to 25 percent. Patrons must wear a mask at all times, unless actively drinking. If the activity is too strenuous to be done while wearing a mask properly, people must seek an alternative.
Casino capacity has been reduced from 50 to 25 percent.
Public gatherings are limited to no more than 50 people, or 25 percent of fire code capacity, whichever is less.
Arcades, art galleries, aquariums, racetracks, bowling alleys, mini golf, libraries, museums and zoos all are reduced to 25 percent capacity.
Big box stores that have more than 50,000 square feet must now have monitors at public entrances to manage capacity.
There will be a pause on adult and youth sports tournaments.
-----------------------------------------------------------
So who knows if these will be lifted by the time you want to arrive. NV definitely has stricter rules than AZ.
I decided not to go after reading this post. I do not want to feel like my freedom is restricted. I can also see why the crime has gone up. Cheap hotels at Motel prices means people who commit crimes and consume drugs move into those hotels. I don't want my safety to be in danger. I also don't want to wait in lines just to get into places. Now Nevada is on my do not travel list temporarily until this pandemic is over. I also read that the monorail is closed as well as all the trams. I can't walk the strip because I would use those trains to get around. I will wait until next year. Now that the vaccine is now, hopefully within a year from now, things will be back to normal.
I have gone five times since the reopening and it's fine. It's not exactly like it was pre-Covid but it's fine. You wear a mask, you make reservations for meals, and you have fun. It seems like if you don't go because you don't want your freedom restricted you are letting some minimal Covid safety protocols dictate what you do by actually keeping you home! That doesn't really make sense. Live your life! I think that crime stuff is BS. Don't hang out on the strip at 4 in the morning and don't go walking around off-strip and you should be fine.
Sadly it's just not as fun as it used to be. I liked being in crowds of tourists on the strip taking in the lights and sights. Part of the fun of Vegas is people watching. Now it's like a ghost town.
Driving down the Strip looking at the neon takes about 7 minutes because there's barely any traffic. Well, that might be a good thing! There is an upside to all this. There are fewer people, if that was a problem for you before you'll like it better now. It feels eerie to me, like it should be fun and bustling but it isn't. It's too quiet.
Go away Covid!
Last edited by GuruChicken; 12-01-2020 at 08:00 AM..
I told both of my adult children to wait. Crime is not my concern or theirs. Las Vegas is a social place. COVID restrictions are intentionally anti-social measures. Some folks are content to sit at their penny machine alone, asking every person that talks to them to repeat what they said (because the mask muffles voices), pulling down their mask to puff on their cig or sip their drink--if you call that fun--come on down!
People want to try signature cuisine, maybe zip line, sit in a rowdy bar, or see a show. All of these things are compromised if not dark. You will still find a place to eat and drink, but it will not be the experience that makes Las Vegas a destination of choice.
I want tourism to recover and sustain the economy here. But this place is not fun right now. Wait until the masks come off--which, sadly, could be a long, long, time.
I told both of my adult children to wait. Crime is not my concern or theirs. Las Vegas is a social place. COVID restrictions are intentionally anti-social measures. Some folks are content to sit at their penny machine alone, asking every person that talks to them to repeat what they said (because the mask muffles voices), pulling down their mask to puff on their cig or sip their drink--if you call that fun--come on down!
People want to try signature cuisine, maybe zip line, sit in a rowdy bar, or see a show. All of these things are compromised if not dark. You will still find a place to eat and drink, but it will not be the experience that makes Las Vegas a destination of choice.
I want tourism to recover and sustain the economy here. But this place is not fun right now. Wait until the masks come off--which, sadly, could be a long, long, time.
It's predicted that by the end of 2021, the masks will come off. That is still a long time from now. I'm happy the vaccine is out now. Hopefully it will be effective.
When the pandemic first hit and then Vegas reopened the people who got the extra $2400 in unemployment flocked to Vegas for its cheap hotels and easy vices.This brought all-out brawls in main casinos. It also spawned a trend for groups to rent mobility scooters and ride them shoulder to shoulder on sidewalks and even roads while boozing and smoking weed and generally harassing others. Needless to say the classiness of main casinos took a nosedive as now they had to deal not only with social-distancing and mask guidelines but a much lower element of clientele.
I read that staying in a high rise hotel was not advised as elevator limits meant 30+ minute waits with this lower sketchy element of guests. For safety reasons there was advice to stay in a non-casino hotel (like Vdara).
I had reservations back in July that I cancelled for all of these reasons. With shows and buffets and most attractions closed, and pools very limited, I had no desire to expose myself to these risks.
I have gone five times since the reopening and it's fine. It's not exactly like it was pre-Covid but it's fine. You wear a mask, you make reservations for meals, and you have fun. It seems like if you don't go because you don't want your freedom restricted you are letting some minimal Covid safety protocols dictate what you do by actually keeping you home! That doesn't really make sense. Live your life! I think that crime stuff is BS. Don't hang out on the strip at 4 in the morning and don't go walking around off-strip and you should be fine.
Not only that, but if you look beyond the headlines about shootings, the majority of them are coming out of instigated fights, not totally random. It's often the person who starts the fight who gets shot.
That said, while I agree that it's okay to visit, if you're on the fence about, I probably wouldn't. Not for safety reasons, and I don't care about the mask thing, but restrictions make it a different experience. Depending on where you are, it can be difficult to get a seat at a table or a bar, restaurants are constantly fiddling with their hours and menus, some of the hotels are starting to close midweek, and there's little in the way of entertainment. If you have a limited number of trips you can take per year, I'd probably save it for later.
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