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JUNE 9, 2021
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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IN RE: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT OF
6 FACE COVERINGS FOR ACCESS TO THE
SECOND AMENDED TEMPORARY
7 COURTHOUSES DUE TO GENERAL ORDER 2020-08
CIRCUMSTANCES CREATED BY COVID-
8 19 AND RELATED CORONAVIRUS
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10 The Court has issued a series of general orders to do its part in containing the
11 spread of coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”). This order, requiring that people who enter
12 the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada in Reno or Las Vegas (collectively, the
13 “Courthouses”) wear a face covering under most circumstances, has been in effect since
14 May 14, 2020. However, more recently, both state and federal government authorities
15 have relaxed face covering requirements for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.1
16 The Court will nonetheless continue to maintain its current policy regarding face
17 coverings, and hereby amends Temporary General Order 2020-08 for a second time to
18 provide an updated rationale for doing so. Specifically, the Courthouses share key
19 characteristics with airports or bus terminals—where federal government officials
20 continue to recommend that everyone wear face coverings2—in that proceedings in the
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22 1See, e.g., Meghin Delaney, Nevada Adopts Updated CDC Mask Guidance (May
23 13, 2021), https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/5.13.21-CDC-
Mask-Update.pdf; see also Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), Interim
24 Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People (Last Visited June 9, 2021),
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html.
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2See CDC, Domestic Travel During COVID-19 (Last Visited June 9, 2021),
26 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html.
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1 Courthouses require significant numbers of people to gather indoors who cannot
2 voluntarily avoid using the Courthouses. The Court also desires to provide for the health
3 and safety for everyone who comes to the Courthouses, including those who are unable
4 or unwilling to be vaccinated, and the CDC continues to recommend the use of face
5 coverings by unvaccinated people.3
6 The Court therefore maintains the following protocols for proper use of face
7 coverings.
8 1) During court proceedings, including Grand Jury proceedings, everyone must
9 wear a face covering unless the presiding judge orders otherwise.
10 2) All employees of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
11 must wear face coverings during security screening and while they are in
12 public areas of the Courthouses. Employees who have contact with members
13 of the public outside of court proceedings as described above must wear face
14 coverings during their interactions. The Court will provide face coverings for
15 employees.
16 3) Members of the public and employees of other tenants in the Courthouses
17 must wear face coverings during security screening and while they are in
18 public areas of the Courthouses.
19 4) The face covering requirements established herein do not apply to individuals
20 who cannot wear a face covering due to a medical condition.
21 Anyone who attempts to enter a Courthouse in violation of this Order will be
22 denied entry. Upon entry, anyone who refuses to wear a face covering in violation of this
23 Order may be removed from the Courthouse. If an individual who fails to comply with
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25 3See CDC, Guidance for Unvaccinated People, How to Protect Yourself & Others
(Last Visited June 9, 2021), https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-
26 sick/prevention.html.
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1 this Order is involved in a court proceeding or in a Grand Jury proceeding, the matter
2 will be referred to the presiding judge to determine the appropriate action.
3 This Order may not be used as an excuse to avoid scheduled court appearances
4 or meetings with United States Probation or United States Pretrial Services Officers.
5 If you have a scheduled appointment or you are otherwise required to appear for
6 a proceeding at any of the Courthouses, and you are unable to appear because of your
7 failure to comply with this Order, you may be able to appear by telephone or video
8 conference. Therefore, you should proceed as follows:
9 • If you are represented by an attorney, please contact your attorney;
10 • If you are an attorney or a pro se litigant and you are scheduled to appear in court
11 before a judge, please contact that judge’s courtroom administrator (see the Court
12 website at https://www.nvd.uscourts.gov/court-information/judges/ and the
13 information listed under the name of the pertinent judge);
14 • If you are a juror or prospective juror (including a grand juror), please contact the
15 Jury Department: for Las Vegas, please call (702) 464-5600, option #0.; for Reno,
16 please call (775) 686-5847, option #0;
17 • If you are on pretrial release, supervised release, or probation, please contact your
18 supervising officer;
19 • For all other matters or questions related to the U.S. District Court, please contact
20 the Clerk’s Office in Las Vegas at (702) 464-5400, the Clerk’s Office in Reno at
21 (775) 686-5800; or the Help Desk at
[email protected];
22 • If you are visiting other tenants located within the Courthouses, please contact
23 them based on the information you have, or refer to their websites.
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1 This Order is effective until further notice.
2 DATED THIS 9th Day of June 2021.
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5 MIRANDA M. DU, CHIEF JUDGE
6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR
THE DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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