US: Mayor offers Las Vegas as coronavirus control group

ANKARA 

The mayor of Las Vegas has offered the city as a social distancing control group to see if the measures really work against coronavirus, a controversial move slammed by many residents of Nevada state's economic powerhouse.

Mayor Carolyn Goodman told Anderson Cooper of CNN during an interview Wednesday that she would accept the city becoming a control group without social distancing measures to compare against other regions with strict coronavirus guidelines.

Goodman said she wanted all businesses in Las Vegas to be up and running again, mentioning that the city had only seen 150 COVID-19 deaths so far, out of a total population of 2.3 million. Cooper then asked her if the low death rate might have been due to people committing to the guidelines.

"How do you know until you have a control group? We offer to be a control group," Goodman responded, to an evidently surprised Cooper.

After her remarks went viral, many people blasted the mayor on social media.

"The @mayoroflasvegas Carolyn Goodman should resign before lunch arrives today," late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel tweeted. "She is an embarrassment to my hometown," the Las Vegas native added.

Epidemiologists have pointed to social distancing as a method proven multiple times worldwide as a measure that slows the spread of viruses.

For several weeks, politically independent Goodman has spoken out against Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak's statewide orders shutting casinos and nonessential businesses, calling it a "total insanity" that's "killing Las Vegas."

Sisolak on Wednesday reiterated that they will reopen the economy when the "time is right."

Several Republican states, including Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas, have already announced plans to allow some reopening of the business sectors to mitigate the virus’ impact on the American economy and households.

The death toll in the U.S. from COVID-19 is past the 46,000 mark, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

New York is the worst-hit state by far with 19,118 deaths and more than 258,500 cases, followed by New Jersey with 4,753 deaths and nearly 92,400 cases.

Nevada, where Las Vegas is located, has registered around 4,000 cases and over 160 deaths.