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NATCHEZ — Magnolia Bluff’s Casino & Hotel will once again be requiring all patrons and employees to wear masks or face coverings, effective Sunday, July 25.

The rule applies to everyone — regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 — in response to the uptick in COVID-19 cases with the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, CEO Kevin Preston said Friday.

“We see thousands of customers a day,” Preston said. “For us, it’s a safety effort for all of our team members and customers. Most of our team members are already wearing masks, which is great, and a lot of our customers do already so it shouldn’t be that much of a transition. It’s mainly because we see so many people on a daily basis and we’re not sure who is vaccinated and who is not. It’s a safety precaution for our team and our customers.”

Guidance from the Mississippi State Department of Health states, “Due to the rapid increase in Delta variant cases and outbreaks, combined with the low overall vaccination rate in the state,” anyone 12 years of age and older should receive COVID-19 vaccination, all who are unvaccinated should wear a mask when indoors in public settings and those 65 years of age and older or those with chronic underlying medical conditions should avoid all indoor mass gatherings regardless of their vaccination status.