ALL Nevada residents and visitors are now required to wear face coverings while in public in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Steve Sisolak announced this week.
In his remarks on Wednesday, June 24, Sisolak said he signed a directive requiring everyone to wear face coverings while in public, including while using public transportation, at a public facing work environment, visiting businesses, and interacting with others outside of the household. The order takes effect on Friday, June 26.
“For Nevada to stay open, we must make face coverings a part of our daily lives,” Sisolak said.
Exceptions for the directive include children from 2 to 9 years old, those who have difficulty breathing when wearing mask, or individuals with a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering.
“However, they are still strongly encouraged to wear a face covering as much as possible,” the governor added.
Businesses are encouraged to post signs requiring customers to wear a mask and “have the right to ask a patron to leave if they are not following this directive.” Businesses that do not meet the requirements of the directive will face violations.
On an individual level, the governor emphasized that the order is a mandate and required, but did not say what penalties would be associated with not wearing a mask in public.
“The last thing I want is for monetary fines or criminal penalties to be imposed on Nevadans, which is why I strongly encourage everyone to follow this directive,” he said.
The latest mandate comes as the state began reopening, including giving the green light for casinos and gaming stations to open their doors for the first time in months. Phase 3 of the reopening will “be tabled” indefinitely as cases continue to rise in the state, Sisolak said.
“The pandemic is not over, as I said last week, we are not yet post-COVID, we are still in the middle of the first wave of COVID,” Sisolak said.
As of Thursday, the state has 14,589 confirmed cases and 495 deaths, the majority of which occurred in Clark County.
