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Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: December 9-15, 2020

Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS
/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Tuesday, December 15, 2020

5:26 p.m. | December 15, 2020

Washoe County Report
By Jayden Perez

Washoe County reported six COVID-19-related deaths Tuesday. The individuals are aged between their 70s and their 90s. Each individual had underlying health conditions. The new death total is 378.

Three hundred new cases of COVID-19 have also been reported. There are currently over 13,300 active cases and more than 31,300 total cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County.

Some Nevada Business Leaders Optimistic After Extended Cap
By The Associated Press

Gov. Steve Sisolak's decision to extend the state's coronavirus-related business restrictions until at least Jan. 15 has left some local business leaders mildly optimistic about the future of the industry. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that most business leaders say they are grateful the governor did not add restrictions in his announcement. Sisolak extended orders Sunday to limit capacity for most businesses in the state at 25% while retail and grocery stores will continue to limit capacity at 50%. The president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Peter Guzman, said the fact the governor did not implement harsher restrictions gives businesses "a fighting chance to keep their doors open."

Appeals Court Rules Against Nevada Cap On Church Attendance
By The Associated Press

A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of two Nevada churches that say the state's COVID-19 restrictions violate their First Amendment rights. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agrees with the churches in Las Vegas and rural Lyon County that the state's limits are unconstitutional because they place harsher attendance limits on religious gatherings than casinos and other secular businesses. The appellate court reversed earlier federal court rulings Tuesday that upheld Nevada's hard cap on the size of worship services.

RTC Cancels New Year’s Eve Free Safe Ride
By Jayden Perez

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County has announced the cancellation of its annual New Year’s Eve Free Safe Ride Service.

The annual service has been offered for the past 36 years, but this year the RTC cancelled it to encourage people to stay home on New Year’s Eve. The decision was made amid the surge of coronavirus cases and to comply with Governor Sisolak’s statewide COVID-19 restrictions

It is important to note that the transit service will still run on a normal schedule on New Year’s Eve for essential trips.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Monday, December 14, 2020

6:19 p.m. | December 14, 2020

First Shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccine Lands In Nevada As 2,579 New Cases Reported
By Lucia Starbuck

The first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Nevada Monday as officials reported 2,579 new COVID-19 cases statewide.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced the shipment arrived in southern Nevada Monday morning.

He later tweeted a shipment was sent to northern Nevada Monday afternoon.

The vaccine is arriving at a crucial time in Nevada. All counties, except for Eureka and Storey, have a high positivity rate and have been flagged for elevated disease transmission.

State officials say the vaccine will not have an immediate effect on the current surge of cases in Nevada and warn that this is not the time to relax safety measures.

“There are two doses several weeks apart. And so there's only limited efficacy in the first vaccine. It will really come with the dose of the second vaccine again in the coming weeks. So Nevadans need to really not consider the vaccine the silver bullet today,” Julia Peek with the state’s Health and Human Services Department explained.

Peek says Nevadans must continue following mitigation efforts.

Over the weekend, Sisolak extended the statewide “pause” to mid-January. This continues the 25% capacity limit on most businesses, public gathering caps at no more than 50 people and private gatherings under 10.

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

4:40 p.m. | December 14, 2020

Washoe County Report
By Jayden Perez

Washoe County reported nine deaths Monday caused by COVID-19. The individuals were aged between their 50s and their 90s, almost all of whom had underlying health conditions. The new death total is 372.

Nearly 200 new cases of COVID-19 have also been reported. There are currently nearly 13,200 active cases and more than 31,000 total cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County. Eighty-five percent of staffed hospital beds are occupied.

California Subpoenas Amazon Over Worker Safety In Pandemic
By The Associated Press

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is asking a judge to order Amazon to comply with subpoenas his office issued nearly four months ago. It's part of an investigation into how the company is protecting workers from the coronavirus at its facilities. Becerra said Monday that the online sales giant hasn't provided enough information on its coronavirus safety steps and the status of infections and deaths at its shipping facilities across California. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The attorney general is President-elect Joe Biden's pick to be the first Latino to lead the Health and Human Services Department.

10:00 a.m. | December 14, 2020

Washoe County Reports Six COVID-19-Related Deaths
By Stephanie Serrano

Washoe County reported six COVID-19 related deaths Sunday. All six people had underlying health conditions.

Additionally, the county reported 514 new COVID-19 cases and 120 recoveries.

The active case count is a little more than 13,000 (13,140) and the county surpassed 30,000 cases over the weekend. The death toll has risen to 363.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Sunday, December 13, 2020

2:26 p.m. | December 13, 2020

KUNR is committed to sharing information and resources on the current status of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in Nevada please visit the following websites:

Nevada
https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/

Washoe County
https://gis.washoecounty.us/COVID19

Quad Counties
https://gethealthycarsoncity.org/novel-coronavirus-2019/

Elko County
https://www.elkocountynv.net/alert_detail.php

Check back on Monday for our regular updates.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Friday, December11, 2020

5:02 p.m. | December 11, 2020

Washoe County Report
By Jayden Perez

Washoe County reported six COVID-19-related deaths on Friday. The individuals are all males, five of whom had underlying health conditions, and for one, it is unknown if there were underlying health conditions. The new death total is 351.

Over 400 new cases of COVID-19 have also been reported. There are currently over 12,400 active cases and nearly 30,000 (29,942) total cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County.

California's Health Order Falling On Many Deaf Ears
By The Associated Press

California health officials are urging the state's residents to stay home as much as possible because of a coronavirus surge taxing the state's hospitals. But the most recent stay-at-home order allows Californians to do many more activities than the March shutdown that made the state a model on how to respond to the virus. People have been buying Christmas trees, shopping for groceries and hitting the gym since the orders took effect Monday in Southern California and much of the Bay Area and Central Valley. Los Angeles County Health Director Barbara Ferrer is warning of catastrophic consequences if more people don't heed orders to stay home and within their own household members.

Viral Spread: Americans Paying The Price For Thanksgiving
By The Associated Press

Some Americans are now falling sick with COVID-19 after celebrating Thanksgiving with people outside their households. Health officials are warning people not to make the same mistake during this month's celebrations. The coronavirus was already raging across the nation before Thanksgiving. It has picked up steam since, with new cases regularly climbing past 200,000 a day. Contact tracers and emergency room doctors are hearing repeatedly from new coronavirus patients that they socialized during the Thanksgiving holiday with people outside their households. The next round of festivities could yield even more cases.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Thursday, December 10, 2020

7:47 p.m. | December 10, 2020

Nevada Reports Record Number Of Dead On Thursday
By Paul Boger

For the second time in a week, Nevada reported a record number of coronavirus deaths.

State health officials reported 50 deaths, Thursday. It beats the previous record set last week. In all, 2434 people in Nevada have died from COVID.

State officials are reporting that while hospitals are reporting an across-the-board increase in COVID-19 patients, the state has seen a significant decline in the number of cases needing hospitalization.

Members of Nevada's COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force noted during their meeting Wednesday, the state's COVID-fatality rate has dipped below one percent for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

In Washoe County, the health district reported 599 new cases and seven deaths, Thursday. More than 12,000 cases remain active.

Carson City Health and Human Services reported nine deaths and 308 new cases of the virus in the Quad-Counties area, Thursday. Nearly 3,400 cases are active.

Pandemic Shutdowns Possible Cause Of Lower Graduation Rates
By Paul Boger

Nevada saw a decline in high school graduation rates in 2020.

The newest data from the Nevada Department of Education shows the statewide grad rate was 82.6%, a 1.5% drop from 2019. School shutdowns as a result of the pandemic earlier this year are the most likely culprit, forcing seniors to complete their degrees online. The state’s two largest districts, Clark and Washoe, were among those with declines.

However, some districts — especially those in rural communities — did see gains including an impressive 16 point jump in White Pine county.

Nevada's school superintendent is urging state leaders to develop criteria to help guide county decisions about reopening schools closed due to COVID-19. Superintendent Jhone Ebert told a state task force recently she's concerned about disparities in academic achievement between higher-income and lower-income students taught strictly through distance learning. She added she’s convinced in-person instruction is not a significant contributor to the spread of the virus.

Several states including California and Oregon have adopted metrics for reopening schools.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Wednesday, December 9, 2020

4:30 p.m. | December 9, 2020

Nearly 50% Of Nevadans Surveyed Said They’re Behind On Rent And Could Face Eviction Within Two Months
By Lucia Starbuck

Nearly 50% of Nevadans surveyed recently by the U.S. Census Bureau say they are not up to date on rent and could potentially face eviction or foreclosure within the next two months. Nevada’s percentage is the third highest nationwide.

The state’s eviction moratorium ended on Oct. 15, and since then, at least 100 eviction cases have been filed at the Reno Justice Court and Sparks Justice Court, according to KRNV.

The federal eviction moratorium for renters who lost income due to COVID-19 is set to expire on Dec. 30.

California Allows Playgrounds To Open Under Stay-Home Order
By The Associated Press

California has changed its rules to allow outdoor playgrounds to stay open in regions under strict stay-home orders. Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration had come under heavy criticism that shutting playgrounds would harm low-income children who have few options to safely romp outside. A spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health said the change was new as of Wednesday morning. Playground advocates say children need fresh air and exercise for their emotional and physical health and that many don't have access to private backyards.

Get Caught Up:

December 8, 2020 | Regional Updates

  • Washoe County To Receive 3,655 Doses In Initial Shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Union Alleges More Than Two Dozen RTC Bus Drivers Have Tested Positive For COVID-19
  • WCSD Board To Decide To Bring Secondary Students Back To Classroom
  • As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Climb In Nevada, So Do Hospitalizations
  • Nevada Lawmakers Face Tighter Budget As COVID-19 Rages
  • Washoe And Clark County School Districts Can Bypass Regulations To Hire Substitutes

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.
Stephanie Serrano (she/her/ella) is an award-winning multimedia bilingual journalist based in Reno, Nevada. Her reporting is powered by character-driven stories and is rooted in sound-rich audio. Her storytelling works to share the experiences of unserved communities in regards to education, race, affordable housing and sports.
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.
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