Well, this should be interesting.
The largest mask-wearing indoor crowd in Las Vegas is set for Sunday when a sold-out crowd for a major international football match fills Raiders Elegant Stadium.
The state's indoor mask mandate goes into effect Friday in Las Vegas and Clark County - just two days before the CONCACAF Gold Cup championship game, which sold out in 90 minutes.
It's an international soccer performance inside the vaulted 65,000-seat stadium and many fans will be visitors who may not be aware of the state mask mandate announced earlier this week in light of a surge of COVID cases in southern Nevada. The Gold Cup championships are held every two years and are crowned football champions from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
UPDATE: The United States vs Mexico will take place on Sunday at 5:30 PM at Allegiant Stadium.
The CDC recommends all people - vaccinated and unvaccinated - masks indoors in COVID-19 hot spots across the country, such as Clark County and Las Vegas. A county spokesman confirmed that all fans would be required to wear a mask at the Gold Cup game at Allegiant Stadium.
The delta version of COVID is increasing the test positivity rate because delta spreads twice as easily than the earlier virus strain.
People in Nevada are not coming out in large numbers to be immune to the virus that has killed more than 600,000 Americans. Free COVID vaccinations are offered at all types of clinics outside T-Mobile Arena and the Strip as well as inside the stadium that hosted Sunday's Gold Cup soccer game.
Vaccines slow the spread of COVID and save lives. State officials liked that nearly two percent of illiterate Nevadans got their first COVID shot this week.
During a state media zoom session on COVID today, LVSportsBiz.com asked experts about the level of concern of having 60,000 people inside a stadium during the COVID surge.
"There is always a risk of transmission," said Michelle White, the governor's chief of staff.
A spokesman said football matches inside the stadium would follow all local COVID protocols.