Reopening guidelines approved for Nevada casinos

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Casinos in Nevada will not be opening during the Phase 1 reopening plan unveiled by Governor Steve Sisolak Thursday. All Nevada casinos will be required to create and implement an infectious disease prevention plan before they will be allowed to open once Sisolak gives them the green light. He said Thursday Phase 1 expires May 30 and the next phase can start then, or even earlier if all goes as planned. It is unknown at this time if casinos will be included in the next reopening phase.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board approved the new reopening plans based on recommendations from federal, state, and local health authorities related to the spread of COVID-19.

Prior to Opening

Prior to reopening, each restricted licensee shall clean and disinfect all of its hard and soft surfaces in accordance with the guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Each licensee must ensure its employees are adequately trained on: (1) the proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures set forth in the CDC’s guidance above; and (2) how to prevent the spread of infectious disease, including, without limitation, social distancing, handwashing, and not spreading germs at work.

Employee and Patron Health Concerns:

Signage should be posted throughout the property reminding employees and patrons of proper hygiene, including, without limitation, proper handwashing, how to cover coughs and sneezes, and to avoid touching their faces.

Employees should be instructed to stay home if they do not feel well, and to contact a supervisor or manager if they notice a co-worker or patron experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as coughing, shortness of breath, or other flu-like symptoms.

If a licensee is informed or is alerted to a case of COVID-19 at its property, it must communicate the case to and cooperate with its local health authorities. All employees should receive clear instructions on how to properly and efficiently respond to all presumed cases of COVID-19.

Licensees should follow the appropriate steps to conduct additional cleaning and disinfecting protocols of all areas that patrons visited during their stay in accordance with guidelines issued by the licensee’s local health authority.

Employee Training and Responsibilities:

Proper and frequent handwashing with soap is vital to help combat the spread of COVID-19. All employees should be required and consistently reminded to wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, before the start of a shift, at least once during every break period, and several times during their shifts, including, without limitation, every time they change their gloves or otherwise contaminate their hands.

Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required or recommended by federal, state, or local authorities. When required or recommended, licensees should ensure that PPE is available to employees and provide training on how to properly use and dispose of all PPE.

Gaming Machines

Licensees must ensure that the floor plan for gaming machines creates proper social distancing between patrons. To achieve these requirements, licensees may remove every other chair or stool in front of a gaming machine or cover a machine’s bill and ticket validator so that patrons do not use that machine. Additionally, licensees should assign employees to focus on ensuring guests do not congregate in groups.

Licensees must clean and disinfect gaming machines, devices, chairs, and other ancillary equipment on a regular basis. Licensees should make hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes available for patron use.

Occupancy Limits

In order to achieve the social distancing guidelines issued by federal, state, and local health authorities, licensees must limit a property’s occupancy to no more than fifty percent of the occupancy limit assigned to the property by local building and fire codes.

Cleaning & Disinfection Guidelines Generally:

Licensees must provide for the regular disinfection of high-use and high-touch areas, including, without limitation, bar tops, bar top gaming devices, bar stools, chairs, dining areas, customerfacing countertops, ATMs, payment terminals, marketing kiosks, and jukeboxes. Both employee- and customer-used point of sale terminals must be cleaned and disinfected continuously, preferably after each customer use. All table tents and other promotional materials must be removed from dining and bar areas.

Licensees should utilize cleaning products that meet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and are approved for use and effective against viruses, bacteria, and other airborne and bloodborne pathogens. A list of disinfectants approved by the EPA for use against COVID19 can be found here. All disinfectants should be used in accordance with their labels to ensure proper application, contact time, and user safety.

During dining service, beverage stations, service stations and carts, counters, handrails, and serving trays must be cleaned and disinfected regularly during hours of operation. Menus, menu covers, check presenters, pens, and all other items regularly reused by guests, and employees must be disinfected on a regular basis and again at the end of each working shift.

Guests should be served with single-use, disposable glassware, plates, napkins, and utensils. Condiments may only be provided in single-use packets.

Tavern, supermarket, and convenience store managers must ensure that disinfection protocols are followed for all interior and exterior door handles, kitchen or other back of house work stations, and restrooms.

Health and hygiene reminders and instructions must be posted publicly, in the view of patrons.

Social Distancing Protocols: Taverns

A tavern may not exceed more than 50% of its total capacity at any time. Dining seating capacity is also limited to 50% of a dining area’s total capacity.

Whether there is a bar top gaming machine in that area, every other bar stool must be removed to effectuate proper social distancing among patrons.

Social Distancing Protocols: Supermarkets and Convenience Stores

Gaming attendants must ensure appropriate social distancing between operational gaming devices, for example, by removing every other gaming stool or covering the bill and ticket validator on every other machine. Guests should be discouraged from congregating around gaming devices.

Health and hygiene reminders and instructions must be posted publicly, in the view of patrons.