Although Goodman said the businesses should reopen, she provided no guidelines on how they should handle social distancing and other safety measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
"I want us open in the city of Las Vegas so our people can go back to work," Goodman said in a CNN interview. She was asked how that could be accomplished while prioritizing employees' safety by implementing social distancing. "That's up to them to figure out. I don't own a casino," she said.
D. Taylor, the president of UNITE Here, a union that represents more than 300,000 hospitality workers across the country, called Goodman's comments "one of the worst things I've heard."
"Nobody wants people to go back more than I do, but everyone wants to go back to a safe and secure workplace and not be an experiment in a petri dish," Taylor said.
Alexander Acosta, a banquet bartender with the Caesar Forum Conference Center, said the comments "struck a nerve" among workers. "We're not test subjects. We're people. We are employees," Acosta said. "We try to live every day as we can. We shouldn't be test subjects."
Casino and hotel workers will not feel comfortable returning unless strict safety measures are introduced, including social distancing guidelines, thorough cleaning of facilities and temperature checks of patrons before they are allowed to enter.
Wynn Resorts, which owns multiple hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, released a report Sunday detailing a plan to reopen the Las Vegas Strip with safety measures like thermal cameras and social distancing.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak tweeted hat Las Vegas would reopen "when the time is right." "And we are working around the clock to ensure we are not only the most fun destination in the world, but the safest," he said.
The Culinary Union, which represents the largest segment of workers on the Strip, said 11 members have died from COVID-19.
Up to Friday (24th), Nevada has reported 4,081 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 172 deaths.
Source: GMB / NBC News
