Officials in Northern Nevada are bracing for an outbreak of COVID-19.
On Thursday, Gov. Steve Sisolak issued an emergency declaration for the state.
“This is an extra step that’s necessary in order to meet the moment,” Sisolak said.
On Friday, the city of Reno did the same — even though at that point, Washoe County only had three confirmed cases.
Mayor Hillary Schieve explained during a press conference that the city was being proactive so that, when the federal government releases aid, they would be ready to receive additional resources.
“We’re still kind of waiting to see what they’re going to be able to provide,” she explained. “We want that ready, because from what we understand sometimes these things can take a while.”
The city also canceled all of its upcoming events. Private gatherings were called off, too, in an effort to prevent a full-scale outbreak.
Meanwhile, public concerns over the virus have already caused declining business in Nevada, where the economy largely relies on tourism.
In response, some casino workers in Las Vegas say their hours have been cut.
Schieve confirmed business owners in Reno have already expressed concern over the potential drop in visitors.
“I hope we don’t see any layoffs, but I wouldn’t be surprised,” she said.
At a separate press conference earlier in the day, Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick explained that public health officials could force casinos to close if the situation were grave enough. There are no plans to take that step for the time being, however.
“I don’t have a bright line that we’ve drawn,” Dick said. “We are not near any point in making that decision right now.”
In the near term, Dick explained that a statewide shortage of health care providers makes prevention efforts even more crucial.
Nevada ranks very low in terms of provider density, insured rates and access to specialty care, so at the best of times it can be hard to see a doctor.
“Based on the number of health care providers and access to health care that we have, which is low versus other states in the nation, if we do have an outbreak that will put more strain on our health care system,” he said.
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