Elected officials in tourism-dependent Las Vegas worried Tuesday about public health and the economic effects of a spike COVID-19 cases — particularly the highly contagious delta variant.

The start of summer has brought new uncertainties for the tourist mecca, however, with COVID cases resurging at among the highest levels in the country and new local government recommendations and mandates issued relating to masking.

Las Vegas officials on Tuesday decided against imposing a mask mandate for tourists on the Strip, citing tourism concerns.

Local and state officials are defending a partial mask mandate that appears rooted more in economics than science.

With the eyes of the tourism world watching, Las Vegas, which launched its post-pandemic era with great fanfare earlier this summer, will once again require workers to mask up while indoors, though regulations, for now, spare visitors.

As school supplies fill store aisles and August inches closer, it’s unclear whether face masks should be added to back-to-school shopping lists.

Clark County’s mandate for employees to wear masks while in crowded indoor spaces also will apply to casinos, the Nevada Gaming Control Board said Wednesday.

The emergence of people with claims that they are anti-vaccines — especially those who refuse vaccines because they receive false information (hoax) — could further exacerbate the pandemic situation.