Everyone — including customers — must now wear masks at this Mississippi Coast casino

Harrah’s Gulf Coast Casino in Biloxi is the first on the Mississippi Coast to require that every single person, including customers, wear masks while on the property.

Parent company Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced Wednesday that all its properties are implementing the rule as of 2 p.m. CST.

All employees, vendors, contractors, guests and passersby will be required to wear masks except with eating or drinking. Anyone who refuses to wear a mask, after being asked, will be directed to leave the property.

Previously, all employees and guests at table games were required to wear masks.

“We promised that Caesars would continue to evaluate the latest recommendations, directives and medical science regarding the COVID-19 public health emergency and modify our enhanced health and safety protocols accordingly,” said Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment. “As a result, we are immediately requiring everyone in our properties to wear masks, because the scientific evidence strongly suggests that wearing masks and practicing social distancing may be the most important deterrents to spreading COVID-19 from person to person,” he added.

The new requirement will apply to all Caesars businesses now open in New Orleans in Louisiana, Las Vegas in Nevada, Mississippi, Iowa, Missouri and Indiana, as well as tribal properties in Arizona, California and North Carolina.

It will also apply to other properties as they reopen in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois and Ontario, Canada.

This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 5:07 PM.