The Unpopular Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has threatened to close down Las Vegas again, if locals don’t “get their act together” and start wearing masks.
Coronavirus numbers continue to soar in Nevada, with 1,322 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths reported on Tuesday, bringing the statewide totals to 112,304 confirmed cases and 1,859 deaths since the start of the pandemic in late February. Clark County alone has 89,256 cases since the pandemic started, with 1,571 deaths.
Over the past three weeks, Sisolak warned Nevadans that the state is seeing an alarming number of COVID-19 cases and may need to adopt tighter measures.
He says the next two weeks are key to lowering the number of positive cases.
“If you don’t have to go out, don’t go out. Reduce your time in public to what is necessary, and limit any and all exposures to those outside your household,” the Associated Press reports Sisolak saying. “Think about changes like ordering groceries for delivery instead of going into the store, or picking up dinner curbside from your favorite restaurant and instead of sitting indoors with others who are not members of your family.”
Sisolak is calling his new Stay-At-Home 2.0 advice a plea for Nevadans to stay at home, not gather outside their homes, and work from home when possible in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
In March, the state shut down nonessential businesses such as casinos, restaurants, and bar to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants could continue offering takeout and delivery options, and reopened in early May for dine-in service. Bars reopened in late May, only to see those that did not serve food forced to close again in July. In late September, bars reopened. Casinos reopened in June, with the last on the Strip, The Cromwell, returning in late October.
Nevada still has a mandatory mask order that requires face coverings in public spaces, including outdoors when social distancing is not possible. Businesses that reopened must maintain 50 percent capacity and social distancing.
