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| What Happens in Vegas if No One Stays in Vegas? | What Happens in Vegas if No One Stays in Vegas? |
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| This week, thousands of people will travel to Las Vegas for business conferences. The annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., is scheduled for this month. | This week, thousands of people will travel to Las Vegas for business conferences. The annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., is scheduled for this month. |
| After that comes spring break, summer vacation, the Olympics in Japan. | After that comes spring break, summer vacation, the Olympics in Japan. |
| When the coronavirus first broke out in China in January, the disruption to the hospitality industry — and the broader travel sector — seemed confined to people going to and from the country. But as the outbreak has spread to Europe and the United States, the impact has widened and companies that rely on world travelers for business and pleasure are struggling to predict exactly how it will ultimately affect them. | When the coronavirus first broke out in China in January, the disruption to the hospitality industry — and the broader travel sector — seemed confined to people going to and from the country. But as the outbreak has spread to Europe and the United States, the impact has widened and companies that rely on world travelers for business and pleasure are struggling to predict exactly how it will ultimately affect them. |
| Hyatt Hotels, for instance, withdrew its financial guidance for the year on Monday because of “quickly changing circumstances and uncertain consumer demand for travel,” said Mark S. Hoplamazian, Hyatt’s president and chief executive. | Hyatt Hotels, for instance, withdrew its financial guidance for the year on Monday because of “quickly changing circumstances and uncertain consumer demand for travel,” said Mark S. Hoplamazian, Hyatt’s president and chief executive. |
| As more corporations impose restrictions on nonessential business travel and the public stays put, conferences, hotels and others are grappling with how to contend with escalating coronavirus fears. | As more corporations impose restrictions on nonessential business travel and the public stays put, conferences, hotels and others are grappling with how to contend with escalating coronavirus fears. |
| Analysts say most companies in the lodging, gambling or leisure industries, including cruise ship lines and amusement parks, know they will take a near-term hit to revenues, but have little idea of what will happen in the summer or beyond. | Analysts say most companies in the lodging, gambling or leisure industries, including cruise ship lines and amusement parks, know they will take a near-term hit to revenues, but have little idea of what will happen in the summer or beyond. |
| Nervous investors are bracing for the worst, driving down stocks of cruise ship lines by a third. The stocks of hotel chains like Hyatt, Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group have tumbled more than 16 percent this year, compared with declines of 5 percent in the broader market. | Nervous investors are bracing for the worst, driving down stocks of cruise ship lines by a third. The stocks of hotel chains like Hyatt, Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group have tumbled more than 16 percent this year, compared with declines of 5 percent in the broader market. |
| “It would not surprise me to see other companies rescind or revoke guidance that they provided in the fourth-quarter earnings season,” said Bill Crow, a hotel analyst at Raymond James Financial. “The focus largely at that point was on China and what would happen to hotels in China. Now this has become a big domestic issue and we’re seeing cancellation after cancellation of major conferences.” | “It would not surprise me to see other companies rescind or revoke guidance that they provided in the fourth-quarter earnings season,” said Bill Crow, a hotel analyst at Raymond James Financial. “The focus largely at that point was on China and what would happen to hotels in China. Now this has become a big domestic issue and we’re seeing cancellation after cancellation of major conferences.” |
| Mr. Crow noted that conferences and other group events are a big business, making up about a third of the revenues for hotel chains, with another third coming via vacationers. | Mr. Crow noted that conferences and other group events are a big business, making up about a third of the revenues for hotel chains, with another third coming via vacationers. |
| Many conference organizers seem determined to go forward, but are enacting a variety of screenings and rules. | Many conference organizers seem determined to go forward, but are enacting a variety of screenings and rules. |
| SaaStr, a business-software conference set for next week in San Jose, Calif., said it would bar any residents of the most affected countries — China, South Korea, Italy and Iran — as well as anyone who has visited those places in the past 60 days. All attendees will need to show a U.S. driver’s license or a passport to enter. Citizens of China, South Korea, Italy and Iran will also be subject to additional screening, organizers said, including passport checks to ensure they haven’t recently visited their home countries. | SaaStr, a business-software conference set for next week in San Jose, Calif., said it would bar any residents of the most affected countries — China, South Korea, Italy and Iran — as well as anyone who has visited those places in the past 60 days. All attendees will need to show a U.S. driver’s license or a passport to enter. Citizens of China, South Korea, Italy and Iran will also be subject to additional screening, organizers said, including passport checks to ensure they haven’t recently visited their home countries. |
| Organizers plan to check all attendees’ temperatures via “passive scanning.” They also banned handshakes and mandated that attendees wash their hands before each session. “This may create some lines,” the organizers said. “Our apologies.” | Organizers plan to check all attendees’ temperatures via “passive scanning.” They also banned handshakes and mandated that attendees wash their hands before each session. “This may create some lines,” the organizers said. “Our apologies.” |
| Attendees of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in Orlando, Fla., next week are being told to tap elbows rather than shake hands. Attendees can also get medical-grade face masks at information booths. | Attendees of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in Orlando, Fla., next week are being told to tap elbows rather than shake hands. Attendees can also get medical-grade face masks at information booths. |
| Facebook, Twitter and Intel have said their employees will not attend South by Southwest, but organizers insisted on Tuesday that next week’s festival will go on. | Facebook, Twitter and Intel have said their employees will not attend South by Southwest, but organizers insisted on Tuesday that next week’s festival will go on. |
| Travel restrictions resulted in some cancellations by would-be attendees from China, Italy, South Korea and Japan for an international construction trade show set to start next week in Las Vegas, but organizers say registration numbers are still up from when the show last occurred three years ago. As part of their efforts to keep the more than 130,000 people expected to attend healthy, conference organizers say they will be distributing buttons or stickers that say “no handshakes.” | Travel restrictions resulted in some cancellations by would-be attendees from China, Italy, South Korea and Japan for an international construction trade show set to start next week in Las Vegas, but organizers say registration numbers are still up from when the show last occurred three years ago. As part of their efforts to keep the more than 130,000 people expected to attend healthy, conference organizers say they will be distributing buttons or stickers that say “no handshakes.” |
| Other conferences, facing cancellations or nervous attendees, are pulling the plug. | Other conferences, facing cancellations or nervous attendees, are pulling the plug. |
| Mobile World Congress, a major trade show that draws tens of thousands of people from technology, telecommunications and advertising companies each year, canceled its event in Barcelona last month, after companies pulled out based on health and safety concerns. Google and Facebook each canceled major developer conferences scheduled for May in California. The software company Zendesk called off its Relate conference that was to begin on Tuesday in Miami. | Mobile World Congress, a major trade show that draws tens of thousands of people from technology, telecommunications and advertising companies each year, canceled its event in Barcelona last month, after companies pulled out based on health and safety concerns. Google and Facebook each canceled major developer conferences scheduled for May in California. The software company Zendesk called off its Relate conference that was to begin on Tuesday in Miami. |
| Zendesk said it would donate food and unused carpet to nonprofit organizations and work with a local artist in Miami to “take some of the cardboard signage and repurpose it into a piece of art.” | Zendesk said it would donate food and unused carpet to nonprofit organizations and work with a local artist in Miami to “take some of the cardboard signage and repurpose it into a piece of art.” |
| Updated June 1, 2020 | |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. | More than 40 million people — the equivalent of 1 in 4 U.S. workers — have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic took hold. One in five who were working in February reported losing a job or being furloughed in March or the beginning of April, data from a Federal Reserve survey released on May 14 showed, and that pain was highly concentrated among low earners. Fully 39 percent of former workers living in a household earning $40,000 or less lost work, compared with 13 percent in those making more than $100,000, a Fed official said. |
| Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea. | Yes, but make sure you keep six feet of distance between you and people who don’t live in your home. Even if you just hang out in a park, rather than go for a jog or a walk, getting some fresh air, and hopefully sunshine, is a good idea. |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. | Charity Navigator, which evaluates charities using a numbers-based system, has a running list of nonprofits working in communities affected by the outbreak. You can give blood through the American Red Cross, and World Central Kitchen has stepped in to distribute meals in major cities. |
| The Walt Disney Company said early last month that it would lose roughly $175 million in profits this year because of the closure of its parks in China. Its parks in Japan have since closed. And Disney has not said how attendance at Disneyland Paris, which has two separate parks with combined annual attendance of 15 million, has been affected as France has started to ban public gatherings in some areas around Paris in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. The parks are part of a business unit inside Disney that makes up 38 percent of its total revenues and 46 percent of its profits. | The Walt Disney Company said early last month that it would lose roughly $175 million in profits this year because of the closure of its parks in China. Its parks in Japan have since closed. And Disney has not said how attendance at Disneyland Paris, which has two separate parks with combined annual attendance of 15 million, has been affected as France has started to ban public gatherings in some areas around Paris in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. The parks are part of a business unit inside Disney that makes up 38 percent of its total revenues and 46 percent of its profits. |
| One city that is anxiously watching the spread of the virus is Las Vegas. Last year, more than 6.6 million, or 15.5 percent, of the 42.5 million visitors to Las Vegas were there for conferences, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. | One city that is anxiously watching the spread of the virus is Las Vegas. Last year, more than 6.6 million, or 15.5 percent, of the 42.5 million visitors to Las Vegas were there for conferences, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. |
| Stocks of the gambling companies Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands are already each down more than 20 percent this year, largely owing to the closure of their enormous casino operations in Macau for two weeks. | Stocks of the gambling companies Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands are already each down more than 20 percent this year, largely owing to the closure of their enormous casino operations in Macau for two weeks. |
| Las Vegas lost its first big conference late Monday when Adobe Systems canceled its annual event that was going to bring 20,000 visitors to hear headline speakers like the actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the comedian Chelsea Handler, along with chief executives and top officials from numerous companies. Adobe said it planned to host portions of the event online. | Las Vegas lost its first big conference late Monday when Adobe Systems canceled its annual event that was going to bring 20,000 visitors to hear headline speakers like the actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the comedian Chelsea Handler, along with chief executives and top officials from numerous companies. Adobe said it planned to host portions of the event online. |
| “Vegas is the biggest unknown right now,” said Steven Wieczynski, a gambling and leisure analyst at the financial services firm Stifel Financial. “If the coronavirus continues to linger and stays in the news, more conventions and group trips will get canceled. That’s what Vegas is known for right now.” | “Vegas is the biggest unknown right now,” said Steven Wieczynski, a gambling and leisure analyst at the financial services firm Stifel Financial. “If the coronavirus continues to linger and stays in the news, more conventions and group trips will get canceled. That’s what Vegas is known for right now.” |
| Sapna Maheshwari, Jack Nicas and Brooks Barnes contributed reporting. | Sapna Maheshwari, Jack Nicas and Brooks Barnes contributed reporting. |