Nevada authorities are warning anyone who participated in large gatherings in Las Vegas during the New Year's weekend to assume they have been exposed to COVID-19 and should be tested as soon as possible.
Video captured by 13 Action News and by people on the strip show thousands gathered in Las Vegas to ring in 2021, in close proximity to others.
VEGAS!THANKS FOR JOINING US..I'M TODD QUINONES..AND... I'M TRICIA KEAN..THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.....PACKED ONTO THE STRIP...AND...HUDDLED TOGETHER.....IN THE COLD WINDYWEATHER...DOWNTOWN...... TO RING IN....THE NEW YEAR..NOW...AUTHORITIES ARE URGINGANYONE....WHO PARTICIPATED...TO GET TESTED..QUARANTINE...UNTIL THEY GET....THE RESULTS!
THIS AS...TESTING SITES....WILL SEE MAJOR CHANGES....NEXT WEEK...LETS GET RIGHT TO.....13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER...JOE BARTELS...LIVE NOW...ON THE STRIP....WITH THE DETAILS..JOE!THIS WAS THE EPICENTER FORTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE..LAS VEGAS BOULEVARD IN FRONT OFTHE BELLAGIO..WAS PACKED WITH PEOPLE.THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF MESSAGESFROM STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS.AND A VIOLATION OF THE STATEMANDATE..IT MAY BECOME THE LAS VEGASSTRIP SUPERSPREADER!
HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE EXPECTING..A RISE IN COVID CASES..STEMMING FROM LARGE NEW YEARSEVE CELEBRATIONS..WHERE PEOPLE..IGNORED WARNINGS...AND STATE MANDATES..."A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WEARMASKS OUT HERE UNLESS THEY'RETOLD.WE'VE GOTTEN FIND LIKE SIXTIMES BECAUSE CUSTOMERS WON'TWEAR MASKS I DEFINITELY BELIEVETHERE'S PROBABLY BEEN A LOT OFSPREADING OF THE VIRUS." MEGAN BROWNHILL..AT FREMONT STREET TEMPORARYTATTOOS..
SAYS..THE CROWDS ON FREMONT STREET..WE'RE LIGHT..BUT IT WAS PACKED..ALL WEEKEND LONG.NOW THERE'S COVID CONCERNS." MY COWORKER WHO WORKED THEMORNING SHIFT OF NEW YEAR'SEVE DID RECENTLY TEST POSITIVEFOR COVID AND I DON'T KNOW IFIT'S BECAUSE OF THAT BUT I DOKNOW THAT PEOPLE AROUND HERETHEY DON'T WEAR THEIR MASKS." STATE HEALTH AUTHORITIES SAYAND CONTAGIOUS WITHCOVID-19.."YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE INFECTIOUSFOR UP TO TWO DAYS PRIOR TOEXHIBITING ANY SYMPTOMS ORSIGNS SO THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHOMAY BE INFECTIOUS AND NOT KNOWEVEN IF THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN ANYSIGNS OR SYMPTOMS CAN STILLSPREAD THE VIRUS." DOCTOR CHRISTINAMADISION SAYS..IN THE COMING DAYS..SOME OF THOSE WHO WEREINFECTED DURING THE CELERATIONSBODY ACHES..AMONG OTHER SYMPTOMS ANDFOR SOME.THEY MAY END UP IN THEHOSPITAL...OR WORSE"IT WAS A RISK TO GO OUT ON NEWYEAR'S EVE THE GOVERNOR MADEIT CLEAR AT THIS TIME WETHE DRIVE THRU TESTING AT TEXASSTATION WILL BE CUT TO THREEDAYS PER WEEK..AND OFFER 600 TESTS ON A FIRSTCOME FIRST SERVED BASIS WHILESUPPLIES LAST.THE TESTING AT CASHMAN CENTERWILL START REQUESTINGINSURANCE INFORMATION..TO BEGINBILLING PATIENTS TO RECOUPTESTING-RELATED COSTS..AUTHORITIES ALSO DO NOT KNOW.IF THAT NEW..MUTANT STRAIN OFCOVID-19..WHICH IS SAID TO BE MUCH MORECONTAGIOUS..HAS MADE IT'S WAY TONEVADA..LAST WEEK -- A CASE WASCONFIRMED IN SOUTHERNCALIFORNIA.AUTHORITIES EXPECT LABS IN OURSTATE WILL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFYTHAT STRAIN.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS.TAKING A LOOK NOW AT THE LATEST
Hundreds celebrated New Year's Eve at gatherings throughout the Las Vegas valley on Thursday despite the warnings from medical..