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No masks required for vaccinated guests at MGM Resorts Las Vegas properties

LAS VEGAS –– Fully vaccinated guests will no longer have to wear masks inside any MGM Resorts property on The Strip.

In a letter to employees, MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle announced the shift is effective at noon Friday.

The update comes one day after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a directive aligning state policy with loosened Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask guidance issued earlier in the day. Fully vaccinated Nevadans can now discard masks and the need for social distancing outdoors and in most indoors settings.

"As I have said before, vaccination is a critically important tool in protecting each other and our communities, and this newest update represents another major step in restoring our economy and industry," Hornbuckle said.

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The Reno Gazette Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, asked MGM Resorts how they will monitor whether guests without masks are vaccinated and if employees will ask to see vaccination cards.

"No, we will not ask guests for proof of their vaccination status," said MGM Resorts Director of Media Relations Brian Ahern in an email. "The State of Nevada and Gaming Control Board do not require businesses to verify a guest’s vaccine status, so it is assumed that a guest not wearing a mask is fully vaccinated."

MGM Resorts properties on the Strip include:

  • Bellagio Resort & Casino

  • ARIA Resort & Casino

  • MGM Grand Hotel & Casino

  • Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino

  • Park MGM

  • The Mirage Hotel & Casino

  • New York-New York Hotel & Casino

  • Luxor Hotel and Casino

  • Excalibur Hotel & Casino

While fully vaccinated guests can ditch the masks, MGM Resorts employees are still required to wear face coverings – even if they are vaccinated, Hornbuckle said.

"We hope to announce updates to this policy soon," Hornbuckle said.

Read the full letter from MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle here:

MGM Resorts Message to NV Employees on Mask Guidance by Reno Gazette Journal on Scribd

What the CDC mask guidelines say

The new guidelines were announced by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC directorThursday and represent a major step toward a return to normalcy for a nation battered and at times divided by a pandemic that has lasted more than a year, though not everyone is pleased with the guidance.

"Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,'' Walensky said. "If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.''

A person is considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus two weeks after getting the second Pfizer or Moderna shot or the same length of time after receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Contributing: USA TODAY

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: Las Vegas: MGM Resorts says masks not required for vaccinated guests