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Hospitality and food service workers, which are the backbone of southern Nevada’s tourism economy, became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Clark County on Thursday.
High-risk residents 55 and older could also be vaccinated at pharmacies statewide starting next week, Gov. Steve Sisolak spokeswoman Meghin Delaney wrote in a statement.
The announcements came just days after county health officials expressed concerns over thousands of unfilled vaccine appointments and urged state officials to expand eligibility.
“We are following state guidelines and the expanded eligibility should help fill available appointments,” Southern Nevada Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore wrote in a statement.
Effective immediately, employees in restaurants, food delivery and cafeterias are eligible. The same goes for frontline hospitality workers, including casino workers, if they have extended interaction with customers.
Essential workers should bring photo ID and proof of employment, such as an employee badge or pay stub, to their vaccine appointment. They can schedule appointments through the state’s vaccine appointment planner.
The move was hailed by Nevada’s largest union, which represents tens of thousands of hotel workers.
“The Culinary Union commends Governor Sisolak for his efforts to include and prioritize the allowance for hospitality workers, including black and brown communities who have been disproportionately affected by the effects of COVID-19.” Local 226 Culinary spokesperson Bethany Khan wrote in a statement.
Nevada gambling regulators on Thursday released guidelines asking operators in Clark County to notify their employees of their eligibility and encourage them to get the vaccine. At least two big game companies said they got started immediately.
“Getting people vaccinated is how we are going to beat this pandemic, and we will encourage all eligible team members to make an appointment to get the vaccine as soon as possible,” Boyd Gaming Corp spokesperson said. ., David Strow.
A spokeswoman for Caesars Entertainment Inc. said the company will “strongly encourage”, rather than require, its employees to receive a vaccine.
Golden Nugget employee Shauna McQueen said she signed up for a vaccination time slot immediately after learning she would be eligible.
The front desk clerk has been out of work for the past few months, but is expected to return as a call clerk this weekend. She is due to receive her first dose on Tuesday and plans to visit her father soon after.
“I was bouncing off the walls,” she says. “I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulder.”
Nevada Resort Association president Virginia Valentine said vaccinating workers in the tourism industry will speed up the state’s economic recovery and get more residents back to work.
Casinos have been operating at reduced capacity since June, after a several-month shutdown during the start of the COVID-19 epidemic in Nevada. On March 15, casinos, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate at half capacity, against a 35% cap put in place on February 15.
“Opening up eligibility to hospitality workers will save lives, increase fairness in vaccine distribution given the diverse workforce in our industry, and send a clear message to visitors and meeting and convention planners that Nevada is the safest travel and tourism destination in the world, ”Valentine said in a statement.
The state is also working with the Nevada Board of Pharmacy to open appointments for people 55 and older who have underlying health conditions, disabilities, or are homeless. The plan is expected to be implemented next week, according to Delaney’s statement.
This expansion will deviate from the state’s original immunization manual. The document calls for the next eligible group to be Nevadans between the ages of 16 and 64 with underlying conditions, disabilities or homeless people.
Before receiving his vaccination at a Las Vegas grocery store on Thursday, Sisolak said the next group eligible for the vaccine would be people 18 and older with underlying illnesses, according to the manual.
“We are trying to reach the people who are most susceptible and vulnerable to the disease, and that is what we are doing,” he said.
The health district offers six vaccination sites for hotel workers:
■ Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road.
■ Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
■ Canyon Springs High School, 350 E. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas.
■ Heritage Park Seniors Facility, 300 S. Racetrack Road, Henderson.
■ UNLV Student Union, 4505 Maryland Parkway.
■ Nevada Partners, 690 W. Lake Mead Blvd., North Las Vegas.
In a prime-time speech Thursday night, President Joe Biden said he was ordering states to make all adult Americans eligible to receive COVID-19 injections by May 1 and expressed hope that families can reunite safely by the Fourth of July. He also announced that a national website to help get doses will be launched by May 1.
Contact Mike Shoro at mshor @ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290. To follow @mike_shoro on Twitter. Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz @ reviewjournal.com. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter. Review-Journal editors Michael Scott Davidson and Damon Seiters contributed to this report.
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