Indoor Mask Rules Grow in Nevada, Ohio, New York

AP: All Nevada Counties Will Be Subject To Indoor Mask Mandate
All 17 counties in Nevada will be subject to an indoor mask mandate by the end of the week, health officials said Wednesday. An emergency directive from Gov. Steve Sisolak requires counties adopt mask requirements for indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor spaces in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if they surpass thresholds for COVID-19 transmission. (Metz, 9/9)

AP: Columbus To Reissue Indoor Mask Mandate As COVID Cases Rise
Ohio’s capital and largest city announced plans Wednesday to reissue a mask mandate amid a rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as a result of the delta variant. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said he’ll issue an executive order in the coming days that would require all residents, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a face mask in indoor places across the city. (Amiri, 9/9)

USA Today: New COVID Safety Standards, Mask Rules For NY Employers
Employers in New York will soon be required to follow new COVID-19 safety standards, including mandatory mask wearing for many workers, under a newly enacted state law. Gov. Kathy Hocul’s administration this week designated COVID-19 a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under the law approved in May, commonly called the NY HERO Act. (Robinson, 9/8)

Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Senate Advances Ban On Statewide Mask Mandate
A bill to ban statewide mask orders for the next 22 months and take steps to address medical staffing, vaccines, tests and treatments related to COVID-19 passed a Senate Committee Wednesday. Senate Bill 2, a companion to one passed by a House committee Tuesday, passed 8-2 with some members who voted for it protesting it doesn't do enough to address acute staffing shortages — especially among nurses — at hospitals and nursing homes. The bill allows paramedics to work in the facilities under supervision of medical personnel but doesn't provide other resources. (Yetter, 9/8)

In related news about sports and covid mandates —

NBC News: College Football Season Is Here. And So Is The Delta Variant.
There is no simple answer to just how much risk there is to a mass gathering like an outdoor college football game. A variety of factors play into the risk level: local infection rates, whether a stadium requires vaccination or a proof of a negative test and even what people do before and after the game. At one such game, University of Wisconsin's home opener against Penn State, no vaccination proof or negative test was required. Masks were required indoors but only "strongly encouraged" in outdoor spaces. More than 76,000 people attended. The Madison, Wisconsin, metro area, home to more than 660,000 people has seen a steady increase in cases since mid-July and a positive test rate of 3.4 percent, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County. (Chow, 9/8)

The Washington Post: NFL Confident In Coronavirus Protocols, Despite Differences With NFLPA
The NFL’s top medical officials expressed confidence Wednesday in the league’s coronavirus protocols and frequency of testing, saying they’re hopeful that those measures, and the league’s high vaccination rate, will make for a safe and uninterrupted season. Their comments came a day after the NFL Players Association reiterated its call for a return to daily testing of all players and staffers and said the absence of that leaves the league vulnerable to outbreaks and schedule disruptions. (Maske, 9/8)

KHN: Your Covid Game Plan: Are Stadiums Safe? 
The college football season is kicking into high gear, the National Football League season starts Sept. 9, and the baseball pennant races are heating up. For the first time since 2019, nearly all stadiums will be fully open to fans. In the so-called Before Times, sitting shoulder to shoulder inside a stadium with tens of thousands of boisterous spectators — after a few hours of pregame tailgating — was a highlight of many fans’ autumn. But with covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths soaring from the delta variant, many fans are wondering if that is a wise idea. KHN talked to seven health experts to get their takes. (Galewitz and Miller, 9/3)