CARSON CITY — Nevada will no longer require people who have been vaccinated to wear masks in most scenarios.
Gov. Steve Sisolak issued an emergency directive to bring the state’s masking requirements in line with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations announced today.
The change takes effect immediately. Unvaccinated people will still be required to wear masks.
The new guidance comes as vaccination rates have started to slow in Nevada and nationwide. The 14-day moving average of vaccinations in Nevada has dropped from a high of 25,055 on April 14 to 12,487 on Wednesday.
Businesses and organizations can still implement stricter mask mandates. Nevada also neither requires nor prohibits private companies from confirming the vaccination status of customers.
Under the CDC guidance, people will still be required to wear masks on planes, buses, trains and other public transportation.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board said in a news release that all licensees will be allowed to follow the updated CDC and state guidance concerning mask-wearing.
In a news release, Nevada Health Response stressed that some people may still choose to wear masks.
“COVID-19 is still very much a threat in our state and many Nevadans may choose to continue using masks based on their and their families’ personal health concerns,” the release said. “Others should respect this choice.”
Nevada’s COVID-19 case rate has remained low, especially compared to highs of more than 2,000 cases a day over the winter. On Wednesday, the state’s 14-day moving average of new cases was 213, the lowest since June 15, 2020.
Sun reporter Bryan Horwath contributed to this report.