Las Vegas casinos greenlighted to increase capacity to 50%

Gov. Sisolak's announcement seemed to spark an influx of visitors over the weekend, even before the ruling took effect,

Casinos had operated at a limited capacity of 25% from November until February 15, when they were allowed to open with 35% capacity. The capacity increase scheduled for Monday includes gyms and other fitness establishments, arcades, racetracks, bowling alleys, mini-golf, pool halls and amusement and theme parks.

"The 14-day moving average test positivity rate has steadily declined, but is still over the 5% threshold recommended by the WHO for reopening," Sisolak noted in the executive order, according to the Daily Mail.

The measure came as Nevada health officials on Sunday reported 222 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing the state total to 299,287. There was also one more death, with the total now 5,118 known deaths. Of the new cases, 161 were in Clark County, which includes Vegas. The state has also detected some cases of the highly contagious UK mutation.

Sisolak's emergency order also adjusts the minimum distance between performers and audience members that previously challenged the return of shows in Las Vegas. Previously, performers were required to maintain 25 feet (7.6 meters) of space between the audience as a precaution against the coronavirus. But some smaller venues could not accommodate that restriction.

The governor signed the new emergency directive on Friday, updating the minimum distance to 6 feet (1.8 meters) if performers are wearing masks and 12 feet (3.6 meters) when performers are unmasked. The order is effective immediately and applies to all live entertainment and performances at all sizes of public gatherings and events.