Las Vegas mayor defends calls for reopening city, hopes heat can quell virus

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is defending her comments calling for reopening the valley's economy, saying the city faces a "unique crisis" with its closure.

Goodman on Friday posted a written statement to her Twitter account, saying she's "obligated" to share both the city's virtues and perils.

"I believe all of America loves Las Vegas and wants very much to see her survive," she writes. "It therefore behooves me to explain to Americans from the other [49] states just how perilous and unique our situation is if our hospitality industry doesn't reopen soon. The Las Vegas the world knows and loves simply won't survive."

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Goodman says it's her responsibility to reopen Las Vegas as soon as possible while keeping residents safe, and that "we must examine all the available data from every major city" to find a method for doing so.

She also said she hopes the region's desert heat will let Las Vegas be one of the first metro areas in the U.S. to reopen, saying "extreme warmth" appears to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The White House on Thursday unveiled a preliminary study suggesting heat, humidity and ultraviolet light can slow its spread. Those results have not been peer-reviewed, however.

Goodman has faced heavy criticism for her calls to reopen Nevada's economy, as health experts continue to call for self-isolation to stop the spread of COVID-19.

An interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper went viral earlier this week when she said Las Vegas could be a "control group" for the virus.

Virtually all of the Las Vegas Strip lies in unincorporated Clark County, outside the city of Las Vegas' jurisdiction.