casino news staffs vaccine Casino Capacity Tied To Worker Vaccinations
Nevada regulators insist casinos looking to increase their current gambling floor capacity must encourage staffs to get COVID-19 vaccination. Casinos looking for the state’s greenlight to boost floor occupancy limit above 50% should ensure more workers get vaccinated.
The Gaming Control Board and Gaming Commission sent a memo detailing various guidelines. Notably, casinos are asked to provide paid leave for employees to get their vaccines, provide transportation to vaccination location, and make plans with pharmacy companies to help distribute vaccine.
Last month, the state increase the casino floor occupancy rate to 50%, and the regulatory body is already making plans to boost occupancy rates at the start of May.
The memo reads “operators’ request to get more occupancy rates will only be considered in cases where licensees have taken measurable and material steps to vaccinate their workforce.”
“Hospitality workers, many of which are front-of-house personnel interacting with visitors from around the globe, are critically positioned to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 both within the industry, and the community as a whole,” the memo said.
The memo mentions that Nevada’s hospitality workforce has a low vaccination rate at the moment. It asks companies to encourage workers to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Getting Vaccinated
The likes of Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International are inoculating staffs at various clinics set up on their properties. Other casinos are already taking similar initiatives. Station Casinos will open on site clinics in the coming weeks.
“it is a critically important tool in helping to end the pandemic and accelerate our community’s economic recovery,” MGM said in a statement.
“We’re committed to doing all that we can to help get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible by removing barriers to access and bringing vaccination clinics directly to our employees and their families,”
Nevada has already increased the age base eligibility for vaccinations to include people aged 16.
