MGM and Wynn Resorts close Vegas locations over coronavirus fears

In an announcement released to its website, MGM Resorts International, one of the largest American global hospitality and entertainment companies, declared that they would be temporarily closing all of their Las Vegas properties due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Casino operations will cease as of March 16, with hotel services closing on March 17.

MGM Resorts has announced its decision to temporarily suspend operations at its Las Vegas properties until further notice, effective as of Tuesday, March 17. More information: https://t.co/uiEWL9I3wa pic.twitter.com/H5MozKGfzk

— MGM Resorts (@MGMResortsIntl) March 16, 2020

According to the statement, MGM will not take reservations for new guests before May 1.

“Despite our commitment to dedicating additional resources for cleaning and promoting good health, while making difficult decisions to close certain aspects of our operations, it is now apparent that this is a public health crisis that requires major collective action if we are to slow its progression,” Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts, Jim Murran, stated in the official press release.

“Accordingly, we will close all of our Las Vegas properties as of Tuesday, March 17th, for the good of our employees, guests and communities. This is a time of uncertainty across our country and the globe and we must all do our part to curtail the spread of this virus. We will plan to reopen our resorts as soon as it safe to do so and we will continue to support our employees, guests, and communities in every way that we can during this period of closure.”

Similarly, Wynn Resorts also issued a statement via Twitter on Sunday explaining that they would be closing its Wynn Las Vegas and Encore hotels situated on the infamous Las Vegas Strip as of Tuesday. March 17.

The company suspects that it will be closed for two weeks. At the end of that period, the situation will be reevaluated and the resorts will adjust accordingly.

In order to keep our employees and guests safe, we have decided to close Wynn Las Vegas and Encore on Tuesday, March 17, at 6 pm. We anticipate that we will be closed for two weeks, after which we will evaluate the situation. Visit https://t.co/ZVdFo0wUMc for regular updates.

— Wynn Las Vegas (@WynnLasVegas) March 16, 2020