The COVID Shutdown Four Years Later

(Kelly Chapman) – Last month marked the four-year anniversary of the great Sisolak Shutdown.  Never forget.  Never again.

What started in 2020 as “15 days to slow the spread” of COVID ended in a two-year shutdown of our lives, our jobs, our businesses, and our schools.  Even the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, where I was working, was relegated to a ghost town.

While concern over the dangers of the disease were understandable, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s unilateral, heavy-handed responses, rules, edicts, and orders often made no sense whatsoever.

How was buying a six-pack of beer in a grocery store “safe” but not if the same six-pack was purchased in a liquor store?  How was COVID a danger at restaurant hostess stands where masks were required, but not 10 feet away while sitting maskless at tables?

Pure insanity, defying all logic and common sense. As columnist John Stossel reminds…

“I have long been wary of politicians, but even I was surprised at how authoritarian many were eager to be. 

“Some demanded police to go after people surfing. They took down the rims of basketball hoops. Children’s playgrounds were taped up like crime scenes. They told people in rural Utah and Wyoming to stay in their homes.

“In the name of safety, politicians did many things that diminished our lives, without making us safer.  They complied with teachers unions’ demand to keep schools closed. Kids’ learning has been set back by years.

“Politicians destroyed jobs by closing businesses. Some shutdown orders were ridiculous. Landscaping businesses and private campgrounds were forced to shut down.”

And Nevada – a state relying primarily on tourism to fuel its economy – was especially harmed.  The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that “As a result of the 78-day closure, the Nevada Gaming Control Board estimated Nevada’s 219 major casinos lost $6.2 billion.”

A number of resorts in Las Vegas – including Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, Fiesta Henderson, and the Eastside Cannery – never reopened.

In addition, Nevada led the nation in unemployment, reaching a record-high of 33.4 percent.  Many people lost their jobs completely or had their hours cut due to business closures and layoffs. This led to financial strain, making it difficult for people to pay bills, buy groceries, and afford basic necessities.

Many were unable to pay their rent or mortgages, leading to evictions and foreclosures.  The shutdowns also disrupted food supply chains and led to increased demand at food banks and pantries.

The restrictions also made it challenging for people seeking medical care. Some people delayed or avoided seeing a doctor out of fear of exposure to the virus or inability to pay the doctor’s bill.

Adding insult to injury, Nevada’s unemployment system completely collapsed.  Not only were tens of thousands of Nevadans thrown out of work, but they couldn’t even get their unemployment checks due to bureaucratic bungling.

Many so-called “non-essential” businesses were shuttered, never to open their doors again. Schools were closed, forcing parents to essentially “homeschool” their kids without notice and without support.  Outdoor ball fields and parks were locked down.

The fear instilled by the government was so bad that people were seen driving alone in their cars with the windows up and a mask on.  Unbelievably, some still do so today.

The post-COVID effects from the isolation – especially among the elderly living alone – and economic uncertainty due to the shutdowns are still being felt, with mental health professionals reporting on increased anxiety, depression, domestic violence, and substance abuse.

“One of the biggest lessons from the pandemic was that despite virtual meetings and social gatherings online, people needed to be together in person,” reflected Virginia Valentine, president of the Nevada Resort Association. “You just can’t re-create personal interactions at tradeshows or the energy of a sold-out concert virtually.”

Ditto the public schools.  Three things we learned post-COVID about locking kids out of classrooms…

• They fell further behind the longer schools were closed
• The kids – usually low-income and from minority families – who needed classroom time the most were hurt the worst
• Padlocking school doors did nothing to slow the spread

As the New York Times noted…

“While poverty and other factors also played a key role, remote learning was a key driver of academic declines during the pandemic, research shows – a finding that held true across income levels.”

Considering the pain and suffering caused by the shutdown, these decisions never should have been left in the hands of one man.  The Legislature could have and should have taken a more active role in developing and deploying these decisions.  Let’s at least hope we’ve learned that lesson.

Never forget.  Never again.

Ms. Chapman is a retired Las Vegas high-limit casino pit boss and 2024 candidate for Nevada State Assembly District 8