Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has announced the end of the mandatory mask requirement in public places.
This decision delighted both employees and guests of the famous Las Vegas casinos. “It’s just amazing,” said Stephen Thayer, General Manager of Strat Casino. “Our workers breathed a sigh of relief as they no longer have to constantly remind visitors to wear a mask.” No one wants to play the role of “mask police,” Thayer added.
Wearing masks is now optional in most public places, including prisons and schools. But masks remain in place in a number of institutions with an increased risk of coronavirus infection – in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions. The Governor justified his decision by a significant decrease in the number of cases of infection and hospitalization of people, as well as a decrease in positive tests for the virus in sewer water.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still continues to recommend masks be worn indoors where there is a “significant risk of virus transmission.” The federal mandate to wear masks remains at the Las Vegas airport and on board aircraft, as well as on the city’s public transportation, including taxis and ridesharing. The Governor stressed that employers and organizations, including schools, can continue to require masks. He acknowledged that the public’s attitude to the “mask mandate” is ambiguous, but insisted that his decision was dictated “not by politics, but by scientific data.”
Newspaper headline:
Down with masks!