Local News

Actions

Jim Murren: 'It is not your public right to not wear a mask'

Head of coronavirus task force urges mask-wearing
FACE MASKS IN PUBLIC
Posted at 1:15 PM, Jul 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-28 16:35:22-04

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The head of Nevada’s coronavirus task force is not mincing words when it comes to mask wearing.

“It is not your public right to not wear a mask,” said Jim Murren.

Murren, who heads the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force, made the comments at the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance’s Las Vegas Perspective event on Tuesday.

PREVIOUS STORY: Nevada among top states for people refusing to wear masks, defying mask mandates

He expanded on his comments, explaining that wearing a mask not only helps others, but helps the local economy.

The former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International explained that he believes Las Vegas will bounce back faster because “we’ve been here before.”

MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS

"Las Vegas will come back fast because of leadership, (a tourism industry) that is committed to safety, and because we work together,” said Murren, before adding that he believes the city will rebound quicker than competitor cities.

His comments come a day after Gov. Sisolak announced the end of phased reopening and that bars in certain counties in Nevada could reopen with limited capacity.

RELATED STORY: Gov. Sisolak: Clark County and 3 others to stay at current COVID-19 reopening phase

Later in the same event, Jeremy Aguero, principal analyst at Applied Analysis, said he feels that travel and tourism will likely take anywhere from 18 to 36 months to recover and pointed out that the Las Vegas airport is the “single largest economic driver” for our area.