Wynn Resorts and University Medical Centre have announced a unique partnership, which will allow all employees of Wynn Las Vegas to have access to testing for the Covid-19 virus at no cost to the employee.

The move is part of a wider effort on the part of the casino operator to reopen following the coronavirus pandemic.

Wynn Resorts chief executive, Matt Maddox, was one of handful of business leaders who attended an ‘Opening Up America Again’ roundtable alongside president Donald Trump earlier.

Hilton chief executive, Chris Nassetta, and a host of other business leaders were also present.

Maddox presented the Wynn Las Vegas Health & Sanitation Program during the event, with the document designed to showcase how the award-winning casinos in Las Vegas can open safely.

All casinos in the state of Nevada are closed on the orders of governor Steve Sisolak, with measures set to stay in place until at least May 15th.

There have been nearly 5,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, with 237 deaths.

In his plan, Maddox praised Sisolak “for making the difficult decision and taking early action in the fight against Covid-19.

“I believe his decisions saved lives.”

However, the casino operator said the time was right to move toward reopening.

At the White House roundtable, Maddox gave Memorial Day (May 25th) as a point when the company hopes its resorts to be open.

As part of the preparations, a University Medical Centre investment in a new lab has increased the capacity to perform thousands of tests per day. 

Wynn employees will initially have direct access to Covid-19 testing at University Medical Centre designated locations in Las Vegas beginning the week of May 4th.

As the company works with government officials to determine an opening date for Wynn Las Vegas, it will set up on-site testing in coordination with University Medical Centre for employees. 

This will ensure that Wynn employees that would like to be tested will have access to reliable and accurate Covid-19 testing well in advance and leading up to the opening of the resort.

“The sense of shared responsibility among partners such as University Medical Centre and the Southern Nevada Health District to create a safe environment for our community, and in turn the tourists who will return to Las Vegas, has been absolutely remarkable,” said Matt Maddox, chief executive of Wynn Resorts. 

“This enhanced testing capability and expanded contact tracing, combined with newly available tracking of benchmarks, are exactly the tools we need to keep our employees safe, our community secure, and eventually welcome tourists back to Las Vegas.”

Wynn also announced that 70 team members from its Wynn Teleservices call centre will assist the Clark County Commission with its ramped-up contact tracing efforts.

“We are extremely proud to be able to share University Medical Centre’s laboratory and testing capabilities with our neighbours at Wynn Resorts. 

“A vibrant tourism destination relies on our expert healthcare system to care for all who live in and visit Las Vegas, and we look forward to working alongside Wynn Resorts to bring us all back together again,” said University Medical Centre chief executive, Mason VanHouweling.

Wynn chief executive Maddox also confirmed that Wynn Resorts chose to pay its employees for 60 days through May 15th at a cost of “approximately $3 million per day or $180 million for two months”.

Most recently, Wynn launched its new Virtual Volunteer program, an innovative digital platform that connects more than 15,000 Wynn employees under stay-at-home orders to hundreds of online volunteer opportunities.

Of course, president Trump, who co-owns the eponymous Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, stands to gain personally from any reopening of the Las Vegas strip.

More Information

In 2017, Wynn Las Vegas was honoured with the title of World’s Leading Casino Resort by voters at the World Travel Awards.

Las Vegas itself currently holds the title of North America’s Leading Destination, with more information on visiting on the official website.