Nevada removes masks requirements for casinos

Consumers had been required to wear masks in public indoor settings in licensed gambling establishments across the state to limit the spread of novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

However, a decline in positive Covid-19 cases, coupled with the roll-out of vaccines, has led to the removal of such requirements, set out in Emergency Directive 052.

The mandate was originally introduced when casinos reopened in June 2020 following the enforced closure of all land-based gambling at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Measures were then eased as cases began to fall in Nevada, only for the mask mandate to be reintroduced in July last year under Emergency Directive 047 amid a rise in cases, with the requirement having remained in place ever since.

Masks will no longer be required in public places, but there are locations where Nevadans and visitors may still need to wear a mask such as in facilities serving vulnerable people including hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities.

Federal law also requires people to wear masks in airports, on planes and on public buses and school buses.

“Just like vaccines, masks are still a great tool we have to slow the spread of the virus. I expect going forward to still see Nevadans and visitors occasionally utilising masks when they are out in public,” Sisolak said. 

“The state will no longer require masks in public places, but employers and organizations, including school districts, may set their own policies, and I encourage them to work with their employees and communities to ensure that policies are in place.”

The most recent set of data, up to February 9, in Nevada showed that the state had a 14-day moving new daily average of cases of 1,138 and new daily deaths of 14.

Some 74.3% of people in Nevada have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination, with 59.0% being fully vaccinated.