Hundreds of events worldwide have been cancelled in order to prevent the spread of covid-19, more commonly referred to as coronavirus, to large groups of international travelers. The first major event to cancel was Ultra Abu Dhabi, followed by the brand’s flagship festival in Miami. Coachella and Stagecoach have not been ordered to close as of yet, and EDC Las Vegas and promoter Insomniac have made no mention of the virus on their social media channels. (Insomniac’s Okeechobee, also in Florida, is currently underway.)
However, multiple Las Vegas events have begun cancelling in anticipation of travelers’ worries and the safety of their patrons, or announcing they will be held remotely
- NXT Global Summit: July 14-15
- Atmosphere conference: Mar 23-27
- Adobe Summit: Mar 29-Apr 2
- Atlassian Summit: Apr 1-2
The LA Times reported yesterday that the Southern Nevada Health District announced its first case. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has yet to confirm the positive test result,” the report states, “but health officials in Nevada said the patient is a Clark County man in his 50s who recently traveled to Washington and Texas. He is hospitalized in isolation.”
The Las Vegas, a major tourist destination, is especially susceptible to cancellations in travel and vacation plans. Many independent business owners, taxi drivers, housekeepers, resort employees, and showgirls are worried if they will be able to make rent should visitation take a turn for the worst.
LA Times notes that around 6.6 million people travel to Las Vegas each year for conventions and business meetings. Popular electronic festival EDC Las Vegas attracts around 450,000 visitors over the course of just one weekend from all over the world.
“Everyone is on heightened alert, but it’s behind closed doors,” Sesan Frison-May, a security manager for a casino whose name he asked not to disclose, told the Times. He added that secrecy in the name of protecting business interest has always remained a top priority.
“We have to keep our mouths shut, but eventually it will hit here. This is a big deal because it’s hard to predict in terms of how people will feel. We just don’t know,” he said.
EDC Las Vegas is still scheduled to go on as planned, May 15-17.