On Monday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced large venues with a capacity of 4,000 or more can get rid of a mask mandate if everyone in attendance is fully vaccinated.
Those who are partially vaccinated will be allowed inside but will be required to wear a mask. Children under 12, who are not yet eligible for inoculation, will also be required to wear a mask, Sisolak said. A verification system will be put in place, and staff training must be implemented to distinguish the fully and partially vaccinated.
On the heels of this announcement, NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders said it will be the first pro team to require proof of vaccination to attend its home games, beginning Sept. 13 at brand-new Allegiant Stadium. For those who want to attend but have yet to be vaccinated, there will be a vaccination station right outside the stadium—though the newly inoculated will be required to wear a mask at the game. Proof of vaccination will be checked through an app.
Nevada has fully vaccinated roughly 49 percent of its residents, and 60 percent have had at least one dose. Sisolak said his state has vaccinated 20 percent more people than the national average in recent weeks.
“I hope that more businesses require their front-end staff and their back of house…to be vaccinated,” he said. “It’s the best way to keep everyone safe and to stomp out this virus. We’re running against the clock here…any idea that somebody has that could get their employees and their customers, if they choose, to get vaccinated, I think that’s great.”
MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle, for one, is requiring it. Hornbuckle told employees in a memo that all salaried employees who don’t work remotely will be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15. New hires, salaried and hourly, will have to get vaccinated before they start, effective Aug. 30.
“For some of you this may be an unwelcome development,” Hornbuckle said. “However, as one of the largest and most trusted operators and employers in our industry, MGM Resorts is determined to do our part to curb the spread of the virus and help counter alarming trends in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.”
Elsewhere, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s program, Key To NYC Pass, launched yesterday, requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor facilities, such as restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, art fairs, museums and gyms, via the city’s vaccine app, Excelsior Pass; NYC Covid Safe app; or a vaccination card.
“It’s time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good, full and healthy life,” de Blasio said.
