The Las Vegas Strip always has a looming covid-19 problem.
While we are unlikely to see another shutdown, the pandemic showed us that it does not take much of a flareup of the virus to spook people and, more important, businesses.
That's affected the Strip multiple times. The 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, for example, looked to be a return to mostly normal. But a rise in covid cases caused by the omicron variant of the virus forced businesses to largely pull out of the event.
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Even though attendees needed to prove their vaccination status and tests were handed out along with badges, the optics looked bad for big companies.
It wasn't really the risk of serious illness that caused many companies to stay home. Instead, it was the perception of sending people into harm's way even if the danger was not overly elevated.
That's why the Las Vegas Strip has to fear not just the reality of covid but the perception of it. Resort casino operators could see major events like the upcoming Formula 1 race, CES 2024, and the Super Bowl disrupted if the covid numbers seem poised to jump.
In many ways, it's no longer a question of health and safety. It's really a public relations battle, and that's why one of the Las Vegas Strip's biggest stars has taken some new steps to ensure that the show will go on.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
Adele changes up her Las Vegas Strip residency
One of the main headliners for Caesars Entertainment (CZR) -), Adele appears on weekends at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Traditionally, she interacts with the crowd during her show, taking selfies with some audience members.
That's a practice she has ended because a member of her band got covid.
“Normally, I would absolutely stop and chat and all of that and hear all about your life and be the nosey person that I am,” Adele said to the Colosseum crowd on Sept. 15, Casino.org reported. “However, I’m hanging on by a thread trying not to get covid.”
The singer noted that an outbreak at the Caesars property affected her backup singer, members of her crew, and other workers at the resort.
“Everyone that I know that I work with has f***ing covid, so it’s a miracle that I haven’t had it yet,” she said.
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Adele's personal approach prompts fan videos
The singer has traditionally walked into the crowd during her performance of "When We Were Young." These have produced a lot of viral videos as fans share their experiences interacting with the singer.
That's a bad look, of course, if Adele or members of the audience get covid. The singer wants to finish her residency, which ends on Nov. 4, without having to cancel any performances. She had to postpone some shows in 2022 due to most of her crew getting infected with the virus.
Adele is widely expected to sign a new contract to continue her residency at Caesars's flagship property. In addition to Adele, Garth Brooks, Rod Stewart, and Jerry Seinfeld also have current residencies at the Colosseum.
Currently, Las Vegas has a low community risk level for covid, according to CovidActNow.com. The city's hospitals currently have 3.2 covid admissions for every 100,000 residents.
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