Paying employees to get vaccinated

The slow march toward the beforetimes continues in Las Vegas, as The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is set to increase its gaming floor capacity to 100%. The Nevada Gaming Control Board permitted the casino to go up to full capacity from 80% because The Cosmopolitan reported that 80% of its employees have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition to going all-out, The Cosmopolitan is also permitted to remove plastic barriers and stop enforcing social distancing rules.

“We believe the only clear path to normalcy and bringing our entire workforce back is through vaccinations,” said The Cosmopolitan president and CEO William McBeath. “It’s pertinent not only to the Cosmopolitan but to our entire industry in ensuring travel can safely return to the destination.”

The casino offered an incentive to its staff to encourage them to get vaccinated: if 80% of them received their first dose by May 1, the Cosmopolitan will distribute up to $1 million in cash bonuses.

“The Cosmopolitan demonstrated substantial efforts to vaccinate its workforce and set an industry standard in what can be accomplished through smart and swift action,” said Gaming Control Board chairman J. Brin Gibson.

Wynn, Encore led the way

The Cosmopolitan is now the third Las Vegas Strip casino to up its capacity to 100%, following Wynn Resorts’ Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Resort. Wynn announced that it has gotten its staff vaccination rate to 88% and received permission from the Gaming Control Board to fully reopen on Monday, May 3.

Though plastic dividers can go, Wynn is still requiring that customers wear masks.

Unlike The Cosmopolitan, which is rewarding employees for getting vaccinated, Wynn Resorts threatened potential punishment for not vaxxing up. Staff members had two options: get vaccinated or get tested for COVID-19 every week. Those who chose to do neither could face discipline.

On an episode of CNBC’s Mad Money a month ago, Wynn CEO Matthew Maddox told Jim Cramer, “I don’t think it’s our job to be mandating vaccines for everybody, but what I am mandating is that we’re Covid free in our staff.”

Las Vegas casinos have made a concerted effort to get their employees vaccinated. Wynn, Station Casinos, Sands, Caesars, and MGM all set up vaccination facilities so that staff members could easily get their vaccinations.

Nevada has had over 317,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 5,500 deaths, but like most states, rates of each have come way down since the post New Year’s surge. The seven-day moving average of new daily cases was almost 2,500 in mid-January, but is now down under 400. Similarly, the seven-day moving average of daily deaths peaked at 46 in mid-January, but has since plummeted to just five, give or take on any given day. While no single factor is the reason for the positive trend, vaccinations are the primary driver.

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