'Wash Hands Often': Sin City Preaches Cleanliness as Vegas Strip Shuts Down

As Las Vegas businesses shut down amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a local resident captured footage that encapsulates the new focus of “Sin City” with a billboard on the iconic city strip urging passersby to “wash hands often.”

The eerily quiet footage, captured on March 17 by local man Desmond Rayford, also features the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, which was one of the final casinos to close in the area.

Governor Steve Sisolak ordered a month-long closure of “non-essential businesses” in a news conference on March 17, as per Associated Press reporting, which came into full effect from March 18.

Posting the video on his Twitter timeline, Rayford said, “It’s surreal to see the city that never sleeps taking its first nap.”

In the footage, an electronic billboard at the intersection of South Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road urges people to wash their hands correctly, reading, “soap & water for at least 20 sec [sic].” Credit: Desmond Rayford via Storyful