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Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Apr. 7-13, 2021

An illustration of an ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses.
Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM
/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

 

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Tuesday, April 13, 2021

7:00 p.m. | April 13, 2021

Gov. Sisolak Confident Nevada Can Fully Reopen By June 1
By Lucia Starbuck

Nevada is on path to lift a majority of COVID-19 restrictions in the coming months, Governor Steve Sisolak announced at his press conference Tuesday.

Starting May 1, counties can fully decide their own COVID-19 restrictions. At that time, the state will lift all social distancing guidelines, and school districts will also have their own jurisdiction over mitigation measures.

After that, Sisolak said he’s confident the state can reopen at 100% capacity by June 1. But, he says the state’s mask mandate will stay in place for the foreseeable future.

“It’s how we ensure Nevada doesn’t spend the next decade crawling forward, but instead, sprinting forward to create a better, healthier and more prosperous state for all of us,” Sisolak said.

Sisolak said the new reopening timeline is based on decreasing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, along with the state’s vaccination effort.

A quarter of Nevadans over 16 have completed their vaccination and nearly 40% have gotten their first shot.

Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.

Nevada Test Positivity Rate Climbs Past 5 Percent, Again
By Paul Boger

Nevada’s COVID-19 test positivity rate has crept back above the World Health Organization’s 5% goal. 

New data from the state shows that 5.2% of all coronavirus tests performed over the last two weeks came back positive. 

The state also reported more than 400 news coronavirus cases and seven additional deaths Tuesday. Both statistics were well above the state’s two-week rolling averages. 

Overall, health officials have confirmed nearly 309,000 cases of COVID-19 in Nevada since the start of the pandemic. More than 5,300 people have died.

Washoe County has also seen an increase in its test positivity rate, climbing to 6.9% Tuesday. The county is also reporting an average of 43 new cases a day, with no new deaths. 

Current estimations show as much as 40% of Nevadans, 16 and older have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination.

You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in Nevada here, along with the state’s COVID-19 dashboard here, and Washoe County’s here.

Nevada Joins States Pausing Use Of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
By The Associated Press

Nevada suspended use of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines on Tuesday while federal authorities investigate reports of people experiencing serious reactions including blood clots. The state COVID-19 Task Force cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation to pause use of the single-dose vaccine, and the Southern Nevada Health District said it stopped administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the Las Vegas area. Federal authorities say they're investigating six cases of women experiencing unusual clots several days after vaccination. State officials said Monday no serious reactions had been reported among people receiving the Johnson & Johnson shot in Nevada.

California Orders Pause Of J&J Vaccine On US Recommendation
By The Associated Press

California state officials have directed counties and other providers to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while federal agencies examine a possible and rare side effect that can cause blood clots. The office of Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that the pause will not affect plans to start inoculating all eligible adults on Thursday. They said it should not affect the state's broad reopening plans set for mid-June. Newsom and other high-profile California officials publicly received shots of the J&J in an attempt to demonstrate to the public that the vaccine is safe. California already expected fewer J&J doses because of production issues.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Monday, April 12, 2021

5:45 p.m. | April 12, 2021

Nearly 40% Of Nevadans Over 16 Have Received First COVID-19 Shot
By Lucia Starbuck

Statewide, nearly 39% of Nevadans over the age of 16 have received their first COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 24% have completed their vaccination.

But, health officials are asking the public to remain vigilant, and to continue social distancing and mask wearing since Nevada is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

The test positivity rate has increased since the start of the month from 4.2% to 5%.

In Washoe County, that rate is 6.7%.

You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in Nevada here, along with the state’s COVID-19 dashboard here, and Washoe County’s here.

Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.

Nevada Newspaper Tallies At Least 55 Inmate Covid-19 Deaths
By The Associated Press

The Las Vegas Review-Journal says at least 55 Nevada prison inmates have died after contracting COVID-19 during the pandemic. The newspaper compared records from coroners around the state with data provided last month by the Department of Corrections. It found the state Department of Health and Human Services tallied deaths of 53 inmates and three department employees, and was reviewing the prison system's other two reported cases. Prison officials didn't identify inmates who died after testing positive for the coronavirus, citing medical information confidentiality. The Review-Journal identified 39 by name.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Friday, April 9, 2021

7:34 p.m. | April 9. 2021

Nevada Reports Largest Number of New Cases In Nearly A Month
By Paul Boger

Nevada health officials reported the largest single-day increase in new coronavirus cases in nearly a month. 

According to the state's COVID-19  dashboard, Nevada recorded more than 600 new cases of the virus Friday. Officials say the jump in new cases is the result of a reporting backlog.

Nevada’s test positivity rate has also begun to slowly tick upward. Over the past five days, the rate has climbed from 4.2 percent on Monday to 4.8 percent Friday..

However, nearly a third of the state's entire population is now fully vaccinated. 

Nearly 307,000 people have contracted COVID-19 since March 2020. More than 5,300 have died.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Thursday, April 8, 2021

5:22 p.m. | April 8, 2021

Nevada’s Test Positivity Rate Continues To Tick Up
By Paul Boger

Nevada's two-week test positivity rate is slowly creeping back up. 

The positivity rate, which tracks how many COVID-19 tests in the state return positive, increased to 4.7% Thursday, according to data posted to the state’s coronavirus website. 

The rate was in steady decline for nearly three months reaching as low as 4% before starting to tick back up this week. The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of less than five percent as a way to control community spread of the virus. 

Currently, the state is averaging about 200 new cases of COVID-19 and three additional deaths daily. 

More than a third of the state's population 16 and older are now fully vaccinated. 

Washoe Commission Approves New COVID-19 Reopening Plan
By Paul Boger

Washoe County Commissioners are looking to loosen COVID-19 restrictions starting May 1. 

The new plan will allow restaurants to serve groups as large as 10 people and eliminates social distancing requirements for outdoor events as well as private gatherings. It also removes a 75% county vaccination rate requirement before full reopening. Instead, the hospitalization rate will determine further restrictions.

The commission approved an amended version of the county's reopening plan on a four-to-one vote Thursday.

The updated plan will now head to the state COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force and Governor Steve Sisolak for final approval.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Wednesday, April 7, 2021

5:35 p.m. | April 7, 2021

Washoe County Sees Uptick In COVID-19 Cases
By Lucia Starbuck

Washoe County is seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Washoe County’s test positivity rate has climbed from 5% at the end of March to 6.2% on Wednesday.

That rate has increased statewide, as well. Now, 4.5% of all coronavirus tests in Nevada are coming back positive.

Statewide, health officials are reporting about 200 new daily cases with three additional deaths per day.

In Washoe County, 65 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Wednesday, well above the two-week rolling average.

The latest data shows nearly 22% of Nevadans 16 and older are now fully vaccinated. 

You can learn more about COVID-19 vaccinations in Nevada here, along with the state’s COVID-19 dashboard here, and Washoe County’s here.

Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.

El Dorado County Moves To Orange Tier
By Jayden Perez

El Dorado County is easing COVID-19 restrictions, moving from the Red Tier into the Orange Tier.

Restaurants can now operate at 50% capacity indoors. Retailers can open fully if they can ensure social distancing. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced the state is aiming to fully reopen by June 15, as long as current trends continue.

Currently, most counties in the eastern Sierra remain under the more restrictive Red Tier. Only Lassen County shows signs of minimal community spread of COVID-19.

To see the status of your California county, click here.

Get Caught Up:

April 6, 2021 | Regional Updates

  • FEMA Helps Launch Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics In Rural And Tribal Communities In Nevada
  • Washoe Co. Launches New COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduling Tool
  • Nevada’s Test Positivity-Rate Stalls
  • Sisolak Releases Recovery Plan For Federal Coronavirus Relief Funds
  • One In Five Washoe Residents Fully Vaccinated
  • Washoe County COVID-19 Response Team Looking For COVID-19 Vaccinators

For continued updates on the novel coronavirus in Nevada, visit our related stories page.

Michelle Billman is a former news director at KUNR Public Radio.
Paul Boger is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
Lucia Starbuck is an award-winning political journalist and the host of KUNR’s monthly show Purple Politics Nevada. She is passionate about reporting during election season, attending community events, and talking to people about the issues that matter most to them.
Jayden Perez is a former web producer and student reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
Isaac Hoops is a former student reporter at KUNR Public Radio.
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