Many Canadian hockey fans were somewhat shocked last Monday when they were watching the opening game of the Stanley Cup playoff series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Their surprise had nothing to do with the game itself, but with the crowd that was attending it. The game was played in Las Vegas before a sold-out arena, with no possibility of social distancing, and few in the crowd wearing masks (see below).
This is indicative of the situation in the city of Las Vegas as a whole, which as of June 1 has been completely open with no public health measures whatsoever to control the spread of COVID-19.
This contrasts sharply with the situation here in Toronto. where we remain subject to lock down measures. Restaurants and bars are still closed save for take out and patio dining (only four to a table). Retail stores are open at only 15% capacity. Hair salons, gyms, and other personal services remain completely closed. Etc. And things have been open to even this extent only since June 11. Prior to that the measures were even more stringent.
I am not able to provide an image of the current seating arrangement for an NHL hockey game in Toronto since, as is their habit, the Maple Leafs bowed out in the opening round of the playoffs (Sorry, Leaf fans!) However, the video below shows the current seating situation in Montreal. As you can see, the arena is only open to 15% capacity with fans grouped into pods of two or four people, each pod separated by six feet. Most of the fans seem to be wearing masks, as well. Almost certainly, in the unlikely event that NHL hockey was still being played here at this late date, a similar protocol would have been observed in Toronto.
These differences are not due to the virus being less of a threat in Vegas than in Toronto. On the contrary, the current 7 day average for new cases in Nevada is 8.05 per 100,000, whereas in Ontario it is only 2.68 per 100,000. Meanwhile, 65% of Ontarians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to only 48% of Nevadans. Although Nevada does have a higher rate of people who have received two doses of a vaccine (40% vs 18%) the fact remains that most people in the state are unvaccinated and completely vulnerable to the virus if exposed.
It seems clear, therefore, that the reasons for Las Vegas being more open than Toronto are not scientific but ideological. Nevada has chosen to prioritize the economy over minimizing risk to human life, Ontario has made the opposite decision. And while it is understandable that a city as dependent on the tourism, hospitality and entertainment industries as is Las Vegas would be eager to end lock down, I must admit that I feel fortunate to be living where I am.
As far as COVID-19 goes, we have not yet reached the best of times. We must not be too complacent in assuming that the worst of times are behind us.