Caesar’s Palace, the famed hotel and casino in Las Vegas, announced Wednesday it is making it mandatory for people to wear masks inside all of its properties.
The new policy is a signal that casinos, the lifeblood of the city’s economy, are taking note of the rising number of coronavirus cases in Nevada.
“We promised that Caesars would continue to evaluate the latest recommendations, directives and medical science regarding the COVID-19 public health emergency and modify our enhanced health and safety protocols accordingly,” said Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment.
“As a result, we are immediately requiring everyone in our properties to wear masks, because the scientific evidence strongly suggests that wearing masks and practicing social distancing may be the most important deterrents to spreading COVID-19 from person to person.”
The new policy applies to all employees, vendors, contractors, guests and passersby at Caesars Entertainment’s properties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, and Indiana, as well as tribal properties in Arizona, California and North Carolina.
People who refuse to wear a mask will be asked to leave the premises.
The move comes as Nevada sees a spike in new coronavirus cases, adding 365 more Wednesday alone. Over 14,300 Nevadans have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.
The state’s four highest single-day increase in cases have all occurred in the last week.
The Las Vegas strip was closed earlier this year to blunt the spread of the illness and was reopened earlier this month. The state and city governments may be wary of shuttering it again given the economic boon casinos give Nevada.
Twenty-four casinos on the Las Vegas Strip earned over $72 million in fiscal 2017, according to the Center for Gaming Research.