The “statewide pause” was implemented on 23 November in an attempt to the combat rising number of coronavirus cases in the region.
The restrictions, which were intended to last for three weeks, reduce the capacity limits for casinos to 25% or 50 people – whichever is less. The same applies to restaurants, bars and gyms.
There are a number of other limitations, such as mandatory masks and a ban on sports tournaments. Sisolak said he would look to ease restrictions if case trends improved within the three-week period, or tighten them if the situation worsened.
During the extension announcement on Sunday, the Governor also said the first shipment of COVID vaccines would arrive this week for medical workers and seniors. He stressed the importance of reducing the number of coronavirus cases between now and when the vaccine is safely administered across the state.
Land-based casinos in Nevada have continued to struggle this year as a result of COVID restrictions to capacity and travel. For example, Wynn Las Vegas saw revenue drop by 53% year-on-year for the third quarter.
As a result of continued travel disruption, many Vegas-based casinos and hotels have chosen to close midweek to mitigate losses. MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts have all announced weekday closure policies for certain properties.
