Noting a drop in Covid-19 hospitalizations and testing positivity rate, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has dramatically loosened restrictions on indoor and outdoor events.
When the new rules go into effect on Thursday, gatherings, which have been limited to 50 people since May, will be capped at 250 people for venues with a maximum capacity of 2,500 people. Larger venues will be allowed to host 10 percent of their total capacity, provided they follow requirements for spacing groups and prepare and submit a “Large Gathering Venue Covid-19 Preparedness & Safety Plan.”
In addition to submitting a preparedness plan, conventions and trade shows are limited to 1,000 people and must adhere to detailed requirements laid out in the Nevada Guidance for Safe Gatherings. The document explains the following:
• Attendees must be separated into areas that hold no more than 250 individuals or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less.
• Venue employees are restricted to working in one individual area during the entirety of a convention, conference, trade show, professional seminar, or similar gathering activity.
• Each area must include floor-to-ceiling walls.
• Each area should have its own entrances and exits to avoid spaces being shared. If separate entrances and exits aren’t possible, a venue must stagger attendees’ entrance and exit times to avoid congestion that does not allow for proper social distancing.
• Attendees must be pre-registered. Consider using color-coding or another identifier for each group in the convention to help ensure groups do not commingle.
The new convention size limits are for attendees (they do not include staff or entertainers), and other COVID-19 rules, such as requiring social distancing and face coverings, remain in place.
The Nevada Guidance for Safe Gatherings document also provides information on managing the flow of individuals, arrival and exiting procedures, health screening, floor plans, signage, concessions, and more.
