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This story about how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting Nevada communities is being updated throughout the day on Monday, March 23.

19 new cases in Washoe County

The Washoe County Health District reported 19 additional cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County on Monday, moving the total number of cases to 44.

The health district said it's no longer providing specific details or any other information due to medical information and privacy requirements.

"It should be noted that the additional 19 confirmed cases were from 2-plus days of testing due to the increased number of tests being submitted to the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory from throughout the region and state," the district said in a statement.

The district also said one additional confirmed COVID-19 case has fully recovered, bringing the total recoveries in Washoe County to three.

20% of 212 Southern Nevada cases have been hospitalized

LAS VEGAS – Of the 212 COVID-19 cases reported in Southern Nevada, 44 patients have been hospitalized, according to health officials.

More 45 percent of reported cases – 97 in total – involve patients between the ages of 25 and 49, according the Southern Nevada Health District.

Patients ages 50-64 make up 59 of the cases – or 28 percent.

Patients over 65 total 41 – or 19 percent.

South Lake Tahoe, Incline Village ask visitors to stay away for now

The lakeside communities of South Lake Tahoe and Incline Village are asking visitors to stay away, with one community even asking its lodging industry to cease renting rooms.

In South Lake Tahoe, where visitors continue to flock despite a statewide shelter-in-place order, the city sent out a request to owners of vacation home rentals, hotels and motels that they stop renting to short-term visitors for the next month.

“Over the weekend, the City received many reports of out of town visitors staying at VHRs, hotels, and motels,” the request read. “The City of South Lake Tahoe is asking our Vacation Home Rental permittees, hotels, and motels to cease renting to non-exempt short-term visitors until at least April 23rd (30 days).”

The city is also asking those owners to be flexible with renters, refunding them for trips or allowing them to reschedule.

On the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, Incline Village is requesting that people considering the town rethink their plans.

The small community is concerned an outbreak of COVID-19 could quickly overrun their medical resources, a concern shared by small communities up and down the Sierra.

“Our visitors are an important part of our community, but sadly, to protect our community and prevent a medical crisis, we’re respectfully asking travelers to please visit when this pandemic is over,” wrote Indra Winquest, Interim General Manager of the Incline Village General Improvement District, in a press release.

Incline Village has already closed its community facilities and the city-run Diamond Peak Ski Resort to combat the virus.

Raley's joins retailers offering cash incentives to employees during COVID-19 outbreak

Raley’s joins Walmart, Safeway and Target in giving workers extra cash during COVID-19 outbreak

Raley’s announced that it will give a one-time bonus to hourly employees who are working during the COVID-19 outbreak, joining other supermarket and shopping chains in providing financial incentives to workers on the front lines.

Raley’s employees will receive about $500 each on average, the company said. The bonus will be paid out on April 3.

The move is the latest in a list of grocers and retailers offering financial incentives to employees as they find themselves working in an uncertain environment while also dealing with the panic buying fueled by concerns about the novel coronavirus.

Walmart announced on Friday, March 19, that it will be giving $300 and $150 bonuses to full-time and part-time employees respectively while also accelerating its next scheduled quarterly bonus. Safeway, meanwhile, announced on Saturday, March 20, that it will give its employees a temporary raise of $2 per hour. The raise applies to all supermarkets under the umbrella of parent company Albertsons.

Target also announced on Saturday that it will provide its workers a temporary $2 raise as well. Target’s raise will be in effect until at least May 2.

Two more Southern Nevada patients die, total deaths in state at 4

LAS VEGAS – Health officials in Southern Nevada reported the deaths of two more COVID-19 patients.

The patients were a woman in her 70s with underlying medical conditions and a man in his 60s with underlying medical conditions, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

That brings the total COVID-19 deaths in Clark County to four.

“We are saddened to report that two more people with coronavirus disease have died in our community,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, acting chief health officer of the Southern Nevada Health District, in a statement.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Nevada jumped to 245 on Monday, according to updated numbers from the Nevada Health Response’s state dashboard.

That figure is up from 190 reported positives on Sunday. The dashboard does not report where those 55 new cases are located.

A case update will be provided later today, the district said.

Cases jump to 245 in Nevada

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Nevada jumped to 245 on Monday, according to updated numbers from the Nevada Health Response’s state dashboard.

That figure is up from 190 reported positives on Sunday.

The dashboard does not report where those 55 new cases are located.

So far, labs in the state have tested 3,735 people, according to the dashboard. Most of those tests have been performed at the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory in Reno

As of Sunday evening, the Washoe County Health District said there were 25 coronavirus cases in Washoe County.

State requests closing businesses to submit wage reports as unemployment claims rise

The state is asking businesses that are closing this month to submit their quarterly wage reports as soon as possible in order to help with processing the rising number of unemployment claims.

Employer contribution and wage reports are used to help determine benefit claims for employees filing for unemployment insurance. The advanced timeline only applies to reporting the information for the first quarter of 2020, the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation said. Tax payments are not due until April 30.

Employers can file online at: http://ui.nv.gov. Businesses also can file a temporary waiver for e-filing. More details are available online at the DETR site or by calling 775- 684-6300.

Nevada's private sector could lose up to 67,000 jobs by June

LAS VEGAS – Nevadans working in the private sector will face some of the harshest cuts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

By summertime, the Silver State is projected to log a 5.3 percent loss of 66,656 private sector jobs – many of them in the leisure, hospitality and retail industries, according to economic analysts David Cooper and Julia Wolfe.

Nationally, the economy is expected to contract by 2.5 percent in the first six months of 2020, a rapid battering of industry that could translate to 3 million jobs lost by June, according to Goldman Sachs.

Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan both provided bleaker forecasts, according to the Economic Policy Institute: 7.5 million jobs lost by June.

The hardest hit states include those with the most workers in food service, accommodations and brick-and-mortar retail: Florida, Hawaii and Nevada.

An estimated 206,000 Nevada casino employees are out of work in the wake of the unprecedented statewide shutdown to fight the spread of COVID-19.

That’s according to the American Gaming Association, the lobbying giant in the corner of U.S. casinos now calling for the federal government to act “swiftly and comprehensively” to get resort employees nationwide working again.

Nevada gambling screeched to a halt last week, when Gov. Steve Sisolak issued a statewide shutdown order to arrest COVID-19.

Pyramid Lake closed to fishing, boating, camping over COVID19 concerns

Access to Pyramid Lake for fishing, boating or camping is suspended beginning on Monday, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe tweeted over the weekend.

The tribal government is working to manage social services and other operations during the COVID19 virus pandemic. During the weekend it announced the tribal council voted to close access to the lake beginning Monday.

The tribe stated it would have a press release with more details on Monday.

The order will include rivers and streams on the reservation that flow to Pyramid Lake, such as the Truckee River on the reservation, which is generally east and north of Wadsworth.

The tribe has not yet announced a date for re-opening.

Galena Creek Visitor Center closed over virus concerns

The popular Galena Creek Visitor Center along Mt. Rose Highway is through at least April 9 due concerns about the widening COVID19 virus pandemic.

The center's website posted the closure notice recently along with note saying operators "tentatively" plan to reopen April 10. The Galena Creek Regional Park remains open.

The Great Basin Naturalists Spring Break Exploration Camps are also canceled, the website reported.

The COVID19 virus can be spread through person-to-person contact and via surfaces through touch.

Despite repeated warnings from public health officials and medical experts to avoid crowding, many people who are being urged to stay home to prevent community spread are continuing to go to popular outdoors destinations.

While it's possible on less crowded trails for people to maintain the recommended 6-foot distance from others, people tend to congregate at visitor centers, restrooms, trailheads, parking lots and popular overlooks where they can get within 6 feet of each other or touch common surfaces.

DMV grants extensions for licenses and registrations

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is giving 90-extensions for renewing driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations that expire between March 16 through April 30.

All DMV offices in the state are closed for at 30 days following the emergency declaration signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak.

Extension letters can be printed and presented to law enforcement at dmv.com.

The extension does not include vehicle liability insurance or SR-22 requirements. Motorists must maintain insurance coverage.

While the DMV is encouraging transactions to be completed online, no one will face a penalty because of an expired license or registration.

These transactions can be completed online:

vehicle registration renewals (can also be completed at kiosks)

registration of vehicles purchased from a Nevada dealer

registration cancellation

insurance verification and reinstatement

driver history printouts

duplicate driver’s licenses and registration decals

Fraudsters are getting creative amid coronavirus: Here's how to avoid being ripped off

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nevada and the FBI are warning of several new fraud schemes looking to exploit people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Scammers are setting up websites, contacting people by phone and email, posting disinformation on social media and even going door-to-door in some instances, according to a release from both agencies.

Examples of schemes, according to the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, include:

Testing scams: Scammers are selling fake at-home test kits or going door-to-door performing fake tests for money.

Treatment scams: Scammers are offering to sell fake cures, vaccines, and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.

Supply scams: Scammers are creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand, such as surgical masks. When consumers attempt to purchase supplies through these channels, fraudsters pocket the money and never provide the promised supplies.

Provider scams: Scammers are contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.

Charity scams: Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19.

Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.

App scams: Scammers are creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.

Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as “research reports,” make predictions of a specific “target price,” and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.

Nevadans are being urged to independently verify those who are reaching out to them, be it a company, charity or individual. They’re also being told to be wary of unsolicited emails and offers, especially those who are requesting cash payments or wire transfers.

Woman tests positive in Douglas County

Carson City Health and Human Services is reporting one new positive case of COVID-19. It is the fourth case reported by Carson City Health and Human Services, which covers Carson City and Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties. It is the second case in Douglas County.

The new case is a woman in her 70’s who had an out-of-state visitor.

As of Monday morning, Nevada said 2,909 tests have been performed on 2,638 people. Positive cases in Nevada total 190 and there have been two deaths, both in Clark County. There are 25 confirmed cases in Washoe County.

Reno City Council bans in-person meeting attendance

The Reno City Council has prohibited in-person attendance at their upcoming meeting scheduled for this Wednesday, according to a press release from the city.

That meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on March 25.

Members of the public can still submit public comment using a newly-created call-in voicemail line at 775-393-4499. You can also email comments to cityclerk@reno.gov or submit them online using the public comment form.

Comments must be received by 4 p.m. the day before the meeting to be included.

Renown CEO: More testing needed

Renown Health CEO Tony Slonim said in an interview with the Reno Gazette Journal that Nevada needs to test more.

As of Monday morning, Nevada said 2,909 tests have been performed on 2,638 people. Positive cases in Nevada total 190 and there have been two deaths, both in Clark County.

More: See full interview with Renown CEO

“We need broader capabilities around making sure we have broad-scale surge testing available in Nevada, so we can segregate people who have it from those that do not,” he said.

He said the same type of testing the state pioneered with the Healthy Nevada Project should be happening for COVID-19.

Launched in 2016, the Healthy Nevada Project was a community-based population study where genetic testing was provided to thousands of Nevadans to learn about the health of the community and genetic risks.

“Because if I could test 60,000 people in Northern Nevada (for COVID-19), I would really understand with data and facts the proportion of people who actually have it versus those that just have the sniffles and a cold.”

He said it would help him and others make decisions and plan for coronavirus with evidence. He wants to be able to test nursing home patients.

“We know, boy do we know, that nursing home residents are vulnerable,” he said of knowing they will eventually get sick and come to the hospital, triggering an influx of patients.

“Testing is pivotal upstream, so you can prevent consequences downstream.”

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Details about WCSD remote learning expected

Over the weekend the Washoe County School District sent out a message about Gov. Steve Sisolak's mandate that schools in the state will be closed until at least April 16.

In a call and email, Kristen McNeill, interim superintendent, said schools are scheduled to open next month on approval of the state's chief medical officer.

Also all end of course exams have been waived. The district said it is still working on how it will roll out remote learning and more plans are expected this week. The district has not said whether school will be extended into summer break.

Siobhan McAndrew tells stories about the people of Northern Nevada and covers education in Washoe County. Read her journalism right here. Consider supporting her work by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal.

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