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Wynn Resorts is in the process of building its own on-site rapid Covid-19 testing lab at the Wynn Las Vegas, with plans to have the center up and running by Thanksgiving.
The lab, which will have the ability to provide “thousands of accurate rapid tests daily,” is being built in partnership with the University Medical Center (UMC) of Southern Nevada.
Wynn plans to utilize FDA-approved polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that can provide results “in a matter of hours.”
In an op-ed posted on the company’s website on Thursday, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox said the move will help the Las Vegas resort create what he called “a safe zone.”
“Establishing these safe zones by testing thousands of people per day with the PCR test dramatically mitigates the danger of community spread,” said Maddox. “The probability of a contagious Covid carrier entering a safe zone is less than one-tenth of 1%.”
According to Maddox, testing is expected to be required for all employees and any guests planning to attend a show, convention, nightclub or other crowded event. He envisions guests being able to take a rapid Covid-19 test at Wynn’s lab several hours before attending a scheduled event, with results being delivered digitally prior to the event’s start via a free UMC app.
“Clearly, we will need approval from the state to execute this plan, but having worked closely with leading medical experts around the country, I believe that this approach can accelerate Nevada’s recovery,” added Maddox.
Wynn Resorts, which resumed operations at its Wynn and Encore properties in Las Vegas in early June, required all Vegas employees receive Covid-19 tests before returning to work or upon hiring. The group has also been testing sample groups of up to 700 employees at its Vegas complex every two weeks since resuming operations.
In mid-September, the company reported that out of 15,051 tests conducted since the restart, there had been 548 positive cases, for a positive-test rate of 3.6%. Of those positive cases, 51 results were received before the reopening period and 497 were post-reopening, translating into a 3.3% positivity rate post-reopening.
Wynn also reported that the Wynn Las Vegas has hosted more than 500,000 guests since reopening in early June and that guests who self-identify with potential exposure or display symptoms are being offered in-room testing. Between reopening and mid-September, a total of six guests have tested positive under Wynn’s testing policy.
Source: travelweekly.com
