Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Tuesday, March 30, 2021
6:30 p.m. | March 30, 2021
Nevada Sees Fewer Than 200 Daily Cases Of COVID-19, On Average, Over Last Two Weeks
By Lucia Starbuck
Nevada is averaging fewer than 200 new daily cases of COVID-19. That’s according to Nevada’s Covid Response Dashboard which provides an average of new daily cases over a two-week period.
Health officials are also reporting a decline in the state’s test positivity rate. Currently, only about 4.2% of all COVID-tests performed in Nevada are coming back positive.
Daily deaths are in decline as well, with the state reporting three COVID-19 deaths a day on average.
The Washoe County Health District is reporting roughly 42 new cases of the virus per day.
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.
Second Case Of U.K. Variant Reported In Quad-County Region
By Lucia Starbuck
Carson City Health and Human Services is reporting the region’s second case of the B.1.1.7 strain of COVID-19, better known as the U.K. variant.
The Douglas County resident doesn’t have a travel history and/or a known connection to the previously reported B.1.1.7 case in Carson City reported Friday, March 26.
Sisolak Extends Nevada Eviction Moratorium Until End Of May
By Lucia Starbuck
Governor Steve Sisolak is extending Nevada’s eviction moratorium for another two months.
Nevada’s eviction moratorium has been in place for nearly a year as part of the effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
And as the pandemic surged, Sisolak extended the pause on evictions multiple times.
But with increases in vaccinations and declines in new daily cases, Sisolak has set the end of the moratorium for May 31.
Under the new directive, landlords must give tenants information on rental assistance programs when serving them an eviction notice.
Speaker of the Assembly Jason Frierson said the extension will give both tenants and landlords time to get their affairs in order.
“I want all of the stakeholders to know that we have heard you. We understand that there are tenants in need, but we also understand that there are landlords in need,” said Frierson.
The CDC extended the federal government’s eviction moratorium earlier this week. It’s scheduled to stay in effect until the end of June.
State courts will again accept eviction notices that month, but renters will still receive some protections.
Nevada Unemployment Insurance Claimants To Be Required To Search For Work Again
By Lucia Starbuck
Nevadans receiving unemployment benefits will soon have to start actively looking for work again.
The Nevada Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), the agency which oversees the state’s unemployment insurance program, says the requirement will go into effect May 1.
Claimants must, once again, file paperwork with the business name and address of any job for which they apply, and provide justifications if they refuse work.
DETR waived the mandate early in the pandemic when there were widespread business closures statewide.
Learn more here.
Full And Close-Contact Sports Can Resume In Nevada
By Lucia Starbuck
Contact sports for children and adults can resume in Nevada.
Governor Steve Sisolak signed the emergency directive reinstating close and full-contact sports Monday.
Sports leagues, associations and clubs will have to develop COVID-19 testing and mitigation plans before resuming competitions, games or matches.
Learn more here.
Lucia Starbuck is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Monday, March 29, 2021
5:58 p.m. | March 29, 2021
Nearly A Third Of Nevadans Over 16 Have Received First COVID-19 Shot
By Lucia Starbuck
Nearly a third of Nevada’s population 16 and older have received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 18% of that population has been fully vaccinated.
A little more than 1.2 million COVID-19 shots have been put in arms in Nevada. This comes as the state has reported an average of about 200 daily cases over the last two weeks, along with four deaths per day.
In Washoe County during that same period, there has been an average of 44 cases per day. Nearly 21% of Washoe residents are 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.
Nevada Officials Hopeful About Virus Trends Amid Reopening
By The Associated Press
Nevada health officials say they're hopeful about the direction of the state's COVID-19 outbreak as reported cases, deaths and hospitalization trends remain favorable and the state gradually reopens following a winter surge. State biostatistician Kyra Morgan says Nevada did not see any significant increase in reported coronavirus cases after allowing businesses to increase capacity to 35% from 25% in mid-February nor from allowing another increase up to 50% capacity on March 15. State COVID-19 Response Director Caleb Cage said officials hope a statewide mask mandate and other mitigation measures will keep cases low and businesses open.
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Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Friday, March 26, 2021
6:10 p.m. | March 26, 2021
First Case Of UK Variant Reported In Quad-County Region
By Michelle Billman
Health officials are reporting the first case of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant in the Quad-County region.
Carson City Health and Human Services reported today the first confirmed case of the variant in a Carson City resident. That person has no travel history and no known exposures. Health officials are conducting contact tracing to reduce the spread of the variant, which was first detected in the United Kingdom last fall.
The CDC says the variant spreads more easily and quickly than other COVID-19 variants. Studies are underway, but it remains unknown how this variant impacts the effectiveness of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines.
Thursday, health officials in Washoe County reported 31 new cases of this variant, bringing the total there to 45 cases.
Nevada Makes Progress On Vaccines Amid Minor Uptick In Cases
By The Associated Press
Nevada health officials reported 445 new coronavirus cases, reflecting a minor uptick from the average number the state has reported over the past two weeks. There were also 11 new deaths reported Friday. A total of more than 302,000 people have tested positive for the virus and 5,226 have died in Nevada since the start of the pandemic a year ago. Recently, the state has reported far fewer cases and deaths than it did at the peak of a surge several months ago. Still, officials are monitoring whether relaxed prevention measures that accompanied the decline could be leading to another surge in cases.
Caesars Puts Pandemic Losses At $2B, Wants Insurers To Pay
By The Associated Press
Casino giant Caesars Entertainment is putting its losses because of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 at more than $2 billion - and is suing a long list of insurance carriers it says are balking at paying its business interruption costs. A Caesars spokeswoman declined Thursday to comment about the lawsuit, and representatives from most of the insurance companies didn't immediately respond to emails. The breach of contract and unfair claims practices case was filed March 19 in state court in Las Vegas. It's not the first of its kind among Las Vegas casino operators. Circus Circus and Treasure Island filed similar cases last year in federal court.
Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Thursday, March 25, 2021
5:52 p.m. | March 25, 2021
Nevada Reports Highest Daily Case Count In Weeks
By Paul Boger
Despite an overall downward trend, health officials in Nevada reported the highest number of new daily cases in weeks.
Health officials reported more than 400 new cases of the virus Thursday. That's significantly higher than the state's two-week rolling average of new daily cases which fell below 200 for the first time since last summer.
The reason for the discrepancy is due to the redistribution of the daily data after it's reported. The revised information is considered a better indicator of the pandemic's trends.
Nevada's 14-day moving test positivity rate has also continued its downward trajectory with only 4.5% of all coronavirus tests coming back positive.
Current estimates suggest as many as one-quarter of all Nevadans have received at least the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations.
Health officials also reported 12 additional COVID-19 deaths Thursday. This brings the total to 5,215 Nevadans who have died since the start of the pandemic.
Nevada Adds Jobs, Slowly
By Paul Boger
Nevada’s unemployment rate continued to fall in February as the state added 2,400 jobs.
The jobless rate is now down to 8.3% with nearly 153,000 fewer people working than in February 2020.
The problem is in the Las Vegas reporting area where more than 145,000 jobs have been lost in the last year. Reno, in comparison, lost 6700 jobs.
Despite the slight improvement in the state's unemployment numbers, February marked the tenth straight month of job growth. The biggest gains were in food services and construction in Southern Nevada.
More Gamblers In Nevada Casinos, But Revenues Continue To Lag
By The Associated Press
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, statewide casino win and revenue figures were nearly flat last month compared with January. Tourism officials also reported a nearly 19 percent jump in visitors over January, but the up-tick is still less than half of pre-pandemic levels. Casino taxes are second only to sales taxes as a percentage of Nevada’s annual budget and casino winnings are a key indicator of state fiscal health. Nevada has no personal income tax.
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Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Wednesday, March 24, 2021
7:25 p.m. | March 24, 2021
More than 1.1 Million COVID-19 Vaccines Administered In Nevada
By Lucia Starbuck
More than 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Nevada. More than 23% of the state’s population has received their first dose and a little more than 13% are completely vaccinated.
This comes as the state has reported an average of about 200 daily cases over the last two weeks, along with four deaths per day.
In Washoe County, officials reported 77 new cases Wednesday, which is higher than the average of 41 daily cases seen over the last two weeks. Officials also reported one death Wednesday.
More than 181,000 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Washoe. Nearly 23% of the county’s population has received their first shot and more than 15% are completely vaccinated.
You can learn more about COVID-19 testing 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.
Clark County Projects 18% Budget Increase Amid Pandemic
By The Associated Press
County officials in Nevada have projected an 18% increase to its budget beginning in July, a sign officials believe the economy will steadily recover after an economic downturn caused by the pandemic. TheLas Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that Clark County Chief Financial Officer Jessica Colvin said projected revenue growth is also reflective of how much the county, which includes Las Vegas, needed to make up. Lawmakers approved a $1.51 billion tentative budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, less than a year after passing a $1.28 billion spending plan. Colvin said county lawmakers must still consider how to allocate funding under the federal economic recovery package. The deadline for the final budget is June 1.
Nevada County Leaves Purple Tier And Enters Red Tier
By KUNR Staff
Some businesses in Nevada County will begin reopening today or slightly increasing their capacity after the county has moved to the red tier.
According to The Union, Nevada County, where Truckee is located, moved down to the red, or very high, tier because it met the state case and positivity requirements for two consecutive weeks.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Dan Miller warned, however, that the county could move back into the purple, or severe, tier once again.
Get Caught Up:
March 23, 2021 | Regional Updates
- UNR Research Groups, Local Government Sample Wastewater For COVID-19 Prevalence
- Washoe County Residents With Underlying Health Conditions Eligible For Vaccine
- Free Vaccines Are Available To All Who Qualify In Nevada, Regardless Of Immigration Status
- WCHD Asking Businesses To Share COVID-19 Vaccine Info With Employees
- Washoe County Extends COVID Vaccinations To Service Workers
For continued updates on the novel coronavirus in Nevada, visit our related stories page.
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