Gov. Steve Sisolak gives update about earlier than expected arrival of Phase 1
Editor’s note: This story is being provided for free as a public service during the COVID-19 outbreak in Washoe County. Please consider supporting the journalists bringing you this information by considering a subscription to the Reno Gazette Journal.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout Thursday, May 7, 2020.
Gov. Sisolak gives live update about Phase 1 reopening
Gov. Steve Sisolak’s latest COVID announcement comes one week after he debuted a phased reopening effort that he said would allow many Nevada retail stores, small businesses and other “low-density open spaces” to reopen by mid-May or sooner, albeit under strict social distancing measures first put in place in March.
Late last month, Sisolak fast-tracked the limited reopening of all retail businesses and pot shops, along with some churches and recreational facilities.
DETAILS ABOUT PHASE 1:Sisolak: Phase 1 reopening begins 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 9 following COVID-19 closures
WHAT'S REOPENING?:These Reno businesses can reopen under Nevada governor's 'Roadmap to Recovery' plan
Washoe County sees 38th death from COVID-19, 8 new cases on Thursday
1:20 p.m.
Another person in Washoe County has died of COVID-19, according to a release from the Washoe County COVID-19 Regional Information Center.
That person, a man in his 70s with underlying health conditions, is the 38th person to die of coronavirus in the county.
Officials are also reporting an additional eight cases of COVID-19, matching yesterday’s number of new cases. That brings Washoe County’s total number of infections to 1,030.
So far, 431 people have recovered from the disease and 47 are currently hospitalized.
Wynn Resorts to provide free testing for employees
LAS VEGAS – Wynn Resorts has opened free on-site testing for 12,000 employees in Las Vegas.
The facility inside Wynn’s Strip property is operated in partnership with University Medical Center.
“Having timely access to test results backed by the medical expertise of University Medical Center is a tremendous advantage as we work toward our reopening,” said Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox in a statement.
Wynn Resorts is extending full-time pay for more than 15,000 salaried, hourly and part-time employees through May 31.
The extension increases the total number of fully-paid closure days to 75 – an investment of close to $250 million for the company.
103 new cases identified statewide in past day
10:23 a.m.
The number of people who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 in Nevada increased to 5,766 on Thursday, a rise of 103 cases over what was previously reported Wednesday morning.
The number of deaths in the state remains at 286, according to updated numbers from the Nevada Health Alliance.
In Clark County, 100 new cases of coronavirus and 7 new deaths have been reported, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
That makes for totals of 4,573 cases and 245 deaths there.
So far, 3,768 people have recovered from COVID-19 in Clark County.
Nationwide coronavirus updates:White House reportedly shelved CDC reopening plans; 3.2M jobless claims
Sisolak to announce Phase 1 reopening plans
Thursday, 8:06 a.m.
Governor Steve Sisolak is set to announce plans for Nevada's Phase 1 reopening, which will take place before the previously announced May 15 date, according to a press release issued Thursday morning by Nevada Health Response.
In late April, Gov. Steve Sisolak extended a stay-at-home order for Nevadans through mid-May, but eased strict coronavirus-prevention measures for some businesses.
A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon in Carson City. RGJ.com will carry the governor's remarks live from his YouTube page.
Full story:Sisolak: Nevada will start next phase of coronavirus reopening plan earlier than expected
More:RGJ explains: How Sisolak's plan to reopen economy will work
One new positive case in Quad-County region
Wednesday
One new positive case and two additional recoveries of COVID-19 were reported in the Quad-County region.
The new case involves a Lyon County woman in her 20s.
The new cases bring the total number of cases to 109, 65 recoveries, and one death, according to the Quad-County Emergency Operations Center.
A total of 43 cases remain active.
Las Vegas assesses antibody tests ahead of next week’s program launch
Wednesday
The Southern Nevada Health District is working to validate studies of antibody tests to determine which one to roll into the community.
The biggest question about the test is how sensitive they are to detect COVID-19 immunity, according to Michael Johnson, SNHD’s director of community health.
The SNHD’s lab supervisor, Holly Hansen, said it’s important to offer tests that are reliable.
The antibody testing method in Southern Nevada involves drawing blood and plasma.
Hansen said Southern Nevada could have its antibody testing program online by next week.
RGJ reporter: I was tested for coronavirus in Washoe County. Here's what it was like
Also called serology tests, these blood tests are designed to detect whether a person has developed antibodies to fend off SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Public health experts have questioned the precision of antibody tests deployed in communities nationwide, warning that elected officials, business leaders, and consumers should be careful about making decisions based on antibody test results.
Washoe County death toll climbs to 37, 8 new cases
Wednesday
Washoe County health officials reported one more person has died of COVID-19, a man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions.
The latest victim brings the total number of deaths to 37 in Washoe County.
Health Officer Kevin Dick also reported eight more COVID-19 cases, the smallest number of new cases reported in the county since March 27—over a month ago.
In total, there have been 1,022 cases. An additional 16 people have recovered from the virus.
Currently, there are also 59 people hospitalized.