Conventions, sporting events with live audiences and large church gatherings will be allowed to resume once again after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced on Tuesday that he is raising the limit on public gatherings from 50 to 250 people — and even higher for some of the state’s largest venues.

Sisolak, at a press conference in Las Vegas, said the state’s decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since a peak in midsummer warranted an increase in the 50-person maximum of gatherings, which has been in place since May. The new directive will take effect at midnight on Thursday.

“We continue to watch numbers for signs of progress and whether the current mitigation measures that are in place are having an impact,” he said. “I’m pleased to say the answer is yes, they are.”

Venues that hold 2,500 people or fewer will be allowed to welcome 250 people or 50 percent of their capacity, whichever is fewer. Attendees will be required to sit in their own seats during the event with no-standing-room audience allowed, though their seats do not need to be assigned or reserved in advance.

The limit also only applies to each room, meaning that a church could spread out its congregation between its sanctuary and auxiliary meeting rooms so long as each room individually meets the 250 person or 50 percent limit, whichever applies.

The new guidance will also allow for gatherings of more than 250 people under certain circumstances so long as the gathering is no more than 10 percent of its total capacity. A sports arena, for instance, that can hold 10,000 people would be allowed to welcome 1,000 people, but the attendees would need to be divided into at least four sections of no more than 250 people.

Each section would be required to have its own entrances and exits, concession stands, restrooms and merchandise stalls and attendees would be required to have a reserved or assigned seat in advance. Staff may only work in one section.

Each section is required to be separated by 25 seats on all sides from other sections and each individual group attending the event, referred to as a “pod”, will be required to have six feet between them.

The entertainment format also plays a role. If performers or competitors join the audience at any point during a show or event, they’re counted in the capacity total. If not, they’re excluded. 

Live entertainment or other events with attendance of more than 250 people will require specific approval from a state oversight agency, such as the Gaming Control Board, Athletic Commission or the Department of Business and Industry.

The new directive will also set a 1,000-person capacity limit on trade shows, conventions and conferences, given the increased chance of co-mingling with other attendees as compared to other events. Conventions may have up to 250 people without approval, but need to seek approval for an event of between 250 and 1,000 people.

The directive also loosens restrictions on a number of other activities or places, including playgrounds if the local health authority deems it appropriate. Real-estate agents can also resume in-person showings and open houses. 

The directive will not make any changes to current restrictions mandating that grocery stores, restaurants, museums and other retail stores limit their capacity to 50 percent.

Sisolak said his office was preparing for additional press conferences in the near future related to youth and adult recreational sports.

The state’s COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force voted earlier this month to reopen bars across the state.

The announcement comes as the number of new COVID-19 cases reported each day has been on the rise. The seven-day average of new reported cases was 458 on Tuesday, up from a low of 267 two weeks ago but still significantly below the high of 1,176 seen in July.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Update at 4:47 p.m.: The original version of this story said the governor announced the changes on Thursday. The announcement came Tuesday with changes going into effect on Thursday.