Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued an emergency face mask directive on June 24. After this, the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (NDIR) performed about 921 checks on the state’s businesses to find that the state’s casinos rank high in compliance with the directive.

Casinos adhere to orders

The state agency found that casinos are better at adhering to the governor’s orders of wearing face masks. It suggests that 84% of businesses in Northern Nevada and 66% of businesses in Southern Nevada are compliant with the emergency face mask directive. The reviews are being conducted by officials of the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the NDIR. Sisolak was previously unimpressed with a roughly 50% compliance with the face mask directive. Since then, the situation seems to have improved and more businesses are now making customers wear masks mandatorily.

OSHA officials visited various businesses on July 3 and found that 75% of the businesses in Southern Nevada were complying with the governor’s orders. However, casinos were complying at a higher rate i.e. 80%.

The rising number of cases bother authorities

As several states in the US start reopening, the problem with the rising number of COVID-19 cases has started bothering authorities. Sisolak clarified earlier that the implementation of restrictions is still not off the table, even as businesses open their doors for people. He called early compliance figures “disappointing and unacceptable.” However, recent data may give the governor some solace.

Caleb Cage, the Response Director for COVID-19 for Nevada said,

“The increased compliance that we’re seeing is a positive. But I don’t think anybody is ready to rest satisfied on any of our compliance numbers right now.”

However, more needs to be done. OSHA suggests that only 40% of the casino hotel pools were complying with the orders. These areas need to be reconfigured in order to allow social distancing. Protocols like hand sanitizer use, disinfection between guest use, seating cleanup, etc. need to be done in the swimming complex.