Las Vegas Boulevard had become home to packs of bicyclists on scenic rides and aimless pedestrians snapping pictures of empty resorts. But there was none of that the afternoon of June 2. Cars moved briskly down the Strip, and casinos’ digital marquees displayed messages like, “No more virtual, we have the real thing.” New York-New York had a simple countdown: “2 Days.”

The coronavirus pandemic might have frozen visitation, emptied casinos and caused countless layoffs and furloughs, but the machine of Las Vegas never completely switched off. Planning for restarting the Valley’s economic engine began as soon as doors temporarily closed. And now, two and a half months later, Vegas will begin welcoming guests once again, folks who’ve been stuck at home, waiting for an escape.

They’re definitely coming. Since the state set June 4 as casino reopening day, hotel reservations have soared. Gaming companies have unveiled extensive safety plans and operational adjustments, helping build customer confidence. Yet the battle against uncertainty continues. Travel is at an all-time low, unemployment an all-time high. Many of the locals who frequent neighborhood casinos and Californians who power the Strip are struggling financially if not emotionally. And Vegas’ planned reopening could also be impacted by unprecedented protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Many of Vegas’ casino companies have joined the chorus of Americans calling for social change.

One thing feels certain, however: It’s time to reopen Las Vegas, slowly and carefully.

*****

I had dinner at a restaurant for the first time in 75 days Saturday night, at the extravagant SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas.

The weather was pleasantly warm and breezy, and I sat outside where I could watch the automated entertainment on the Lake of Dreams and still get hit by the air conditioning from the dining room. I waited until my cocktail arrived to take off my cloth mask, which I set down on a large square card on my table designed exactly for that purpose. Other diners wore masks into the restaurant and put them back on when leaving, and everyone from the hostess to the servers to the chef wore face coverings all night. Same for the many Wynn team members we encountered on our way from the parking garage through the closed casino to SW. Once inside the building, our temperatures were scanned so quickly, we didn’t notice anything had happened.

Wynn and Encore were the first Las Vegas casinos to announce they would close because of the COVID-19 pandemic, even before Gov. Steve Sisolak mandated resort closures on March 17. When the twin luxury resorts reopen on June 4, they plan to offer the majority of amenities that earned the Wynn brand its five-star reputation. Virtually all of the restaurants will be open with reservations required; only a few opened last week for a sort of warmup service for local diners. Spas will be open, and you can get a manicure by putting your hands through a plexiglass window. It will feel more relaxing than it sounds.

The hotels will be permitted to book up to 50 percent capacity, and guests will see that their rooms have been sealed with a sticker to ensure they’re the first to enter since disinfection. Wynn rooms already had touchless Amazon Alexa controls to manage temperature and lighting. Theaters, nightclubs and the dayclub will remain closed, but the Wynn Golf Club has already been open, with tee times separated by 20-minute intervals. The majority of retail shops on property, includingthose in the new Wynn Plaza, will open their doors this week.

My dinner at SW exceeded expectations in a way I couldn’t have predicted. I knew the food and service would be terrific. I didn’t think I’d get a few hours of refuge from our shared uneasy reality. But that’s what the Las Vegas Strip has always been here for, and that will be the goal, in a more focused way than ever before, when many resorts reopen this week.

“The health and safety of our employees and guests are the top priority, but what is very important as well is to continue to create unique experiences,” said Dominique Bertolone, MGM Resorts’ senior VP of food & beverage strategy.

He spoke June 1 inside a socially distanced Sadelle’s restaurant at Bellagio as part of a preopening media tour, demonstrating that venue’s reduced capacity seating plan and the plexiglass shields separating pink booths in the dining room. You’ll be able to browse the menu at MGM restaurants by using a QR code at your table, and if you didn’t make a reservation, a virtual queue program will allow you to hang out in the casino until a text message tells you your table is ready.

Bellagio was scheduled to flip the switch on its fountains on June 4, and reopen its Petrossian Bar lounge, Prime Steakhouse and Lago restaurants and the iconic conservatory with a new display called “Japan Journey: Magic of Kansai.” The resort’s newest arrival, Mayfair Supper Club, will serve dinner, but a reconfigured plan for its unique stage show is still in the works.

“We want to make sure we’re doing this in a designed and controlled way so you can still have fun, but also that we’re doing things right coming out of COVID,” said John Flynn, MGM Resorts VP of administration. “We want to make sure our employees are doing things the right way to provide that extra sense of security.”

Flynn emphasized that MGM staff at Bellagio, MGM Grand and New York-New York, all scheduled to open June 4, will have a strong presence on the casino floor at all times in order to “keep an eye on that 6-foot [social distancing] space and make sure it’s respected and abided by.” But it’s paramount to make sure guests enjoy themselves and reconnect with the Vegas experience they’re surely craving after missing the Strip for months.

“That’s big. Vegas safely is still Vegas. Even pre-COVID, there’s a sense that we’re bringing everybody together, we’re in this together, and that applies to our guests. There’s some personal accountability that goes with that,” Flynn continued. “We’re going to provide them with all the safety mechanisms to have that same wonderful experience they’ve had in the past and ask them for a couple of things … and knowing our guests, they’re loyal and they’re going to comply. We look forward to it.”

Virtually all casino activities at Bellagio were set to reopen, including the sportsbook, with poker on hold for now. There’s plexiglass affixed to most table games, and playing craps or roulette at Bellagio will require you to wear a mask; the casino provides them at several new hand-washing stations, or you can just ask for one.

The reopening of the Strip will be a gradual process, and the experience during the transition will be different. But it might not feel as restricted as you think. One fancy dinner on the patio can go a long way.