Coronavirus live updates: Nevada positive COVID-19 cases jump 117 to 738 statewide

Nevada cases jump 117 to 738 on Saturday

Saturday, March 28, 8:45 p.m.

In Nevada, 117 more people tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, according to the Nevada Health Alliance dashboard.

The number of known COVID-19 cases in Nevada is now 738. So far 9,150 people have been tested across the state and 14 people have died.

Sheriff's deputy tests positive; 18 new cases reported in Washoe County

Saturday, March 28, 5:45 p.m.

A Washoe County Sheriff’s deputy who works at the jail tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, according to the Washoe County Health District.

Health officials also reported 18 new positive cases, bringing the active case count to 85 and the total to 93 in Washoe County.

Sheriff Darin Balaam reported the positive case Saturday afternoon. Officials said the deputy had just returned to work on Thursday after being off for a week.

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She then reported symptoms of the coronavirus and was sent to an independent lab for testing. She was then sent home.

Saturday morning, the sheriff’s office learned the deputy had tested positive.

The sheriff’s office is currently working with the health district, which is still investigating the case.

“Information about all persons who may have come into contact with the deputy during the short time she was in the office is being provided to the health district,” officials said in a news release.

The sheriff’s office is also taking steps based on recommendations from the health district. That includes having a single point entry and screening all employees and visitors.

Balaam also instructed his staff to take the temperatures of everyone needing to enter the sheriff’s office for business. That includes having people answer basic screening questions before they’re allowed inside.

Since the second week of March, the sheriff’s office placed precautions such as increasing medical screenings for arrestees and educating and spreading awareness for both inmates and staff.

That also includes increasing sanitation efforts throughout the entire department.

Several employees are also working remotely from home. Authorities have also been postponing nonessential service requests.

Clark County reports 4 more deaths from coronavirus; total now 14

The Southern Nevada Health District reported four more deaths from coronavirus on Saturday. The total deaths in Nevada is now 14. The new information said of the 14 deaths, 10 had underlying medical conditions that included diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, pulmonary disease and immunocompromised.

All of the 14 who died were hospitalized; at some point and 10 were intubated. The health district in Clark County said it has 528 positive cases and of those 17 percent have been hospitalized.

In Washoe County, 75 cases of coronavirus have been reported, according to the latest update on Friday. There have been no deaths in Northern Nevada.

2 new cases reported in Carson and Douglas

Carson City Health and Human Services is reporting two new coronavirus cases, a Carson City woman and a Douglas County man, both in their 30s. Both had traveled recently, and both are self-isolating and in stable condition.

The total in the four-county district now totals 11: five in Carson City, five in Douglas County and one in Lyon County. No cases have been reported in Storey County.

Las Vegas to open a temporary shelter for the homeless

Saturday, March 28, 4:26 p.m.

Las Vegas is opening a temporary homeless shelter after a homeless man tested positive for COVID-19, causing the shelter run by Catholic Charities to close.

The closure of the Catholic Charities shelter left 500 people without an overnight shelter, according to a joint news release from Clark County and the City of Las Vegas.

County and city officials are working to expand the Homeless Courtyard to Foremaster Lane.

An additional expansion into the upper parking lot of the Cashman Center would create more space for social distancing, officials said.

Homeless providers and others were working to set up the temporary shelter Saturday afternoon.

The shelter will operate from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday through April 3.

For the full story, click here.

Cortez Masto pushes for legislation to help students in need of Internet connection

Saturday, March 28, 12 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to help families who need Internet connection during the coronavirus crisis.

The Keeping Critical Connections Act would appropriate $2 billion for the Federal Communications Commission to help small broadband companies provide students and their families with Internet access.

“With students studying from home all over Nevada, I want to ensure that students have the critical broadband access they need to succeed academically,” Cortez Masto said in a statement on Saturday. “No student should be falling behind because a family can’t afford connectivity.

“This bipartisan legislation will help connect students all over the Silver State to their teachers and classmates during this crisis.”

Several other senators are co-sponsoring the legislation, including Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Dan Sullivan, R-Ark., among others.

Garbage pickup to be done entirely by mechanical arm on trucks

Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m.

Waste Management won't be picking up extra garbage to avoid having employees come into contact with waste.

Garbage pickup will be done entirely with the mechanical arm on trucks starting Monday. This includes garbage with extra waste stickers.

Waste Management said items can be left with stickers in trash cans or carts but would not guarantee that items would not be damaged or dropped by the collection vehicle using the automated loader.

86 new cases identified Friday across Nevada

Saturday, March 28, 6 a.m.

In Nevada, 86 more people tested positive for coronavirus on Friday, according to the Nevada Health Alliance dashboard.

The number of known COVID-19 cases in Nevada is now 621. The statewide dashboard does not break down numbers by county but earlier on Friday Washoe County said there were eight more cases for a total of 75.

So far 8,522 people have been tested across the state and 10 people have died.

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Washoe loses 2,800 jobs in wake of shutdown

Nearly 2,800 people in Reno filed for unemployment last week as the country continues to reel from the coronavirus pandemic, according to new numbers released by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The spike in statewide claims is unprecedented, reaching a level more than 10 times the level seen during the Great Recession.

Statewide, more than 92,000 people sought unemployment benefits last week. That number includes 4,449 claims in Washoe County.

The job losses follow an order by Gov. Steve Sisolak that required casinos and all other non-essential businesses to close in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

The flood of unemployed Nevadans has overwhelmed the state's unemployment benefits website and phone lines. Those seeking benefits have complained of waiting for hours on hold and being unable to access their benefits online.

On Friday, the department announced it would expand its security help desk hours to help those who must call in to verify their identity before receiving benefits.

Coronavirus layoffs: How to file for unemployment insurance benefits if you’ve lost your job

Official: Tesla slashing workforce at Gigafactory

Tesla is planning to slash workforce at the company's Nevada Gigafactory in coming days, according to Storey County.

"Tesla has informed us that the Gigafactory in Storey County is reducing on-site staff by roughly 75% in the coming days," Storey County manager Austin Osborne wrote on the county website.

Tesla partner Panasonic, which uses its portion of the factory to manufacture cells Tesla assembles into battery packs, announced last week it would temporarily suspend operations. Combined, the two companies employ several thousand workers.

Tesla's press team did not immediately respond to the Storey County statement. The company has not officially released information about the status of its factory in Nevada nor whether it would compensate workers for lost time.

Tesla has not responded to multiple requests for comment on the Nevada Gigafactory, which was built in part with public subsidies worth an estimated $1.3 billion over 20 years.

More: Panasonic to suspend operations at Nevada Gigafactory, no word from Tesla

Forest Service to restrict group sizes

People who head into the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest will need to do so in groups of fewer than 10, according to forest service officials.

Forest Supervisor Bill Dunkelberger said the decision is in response to an order from Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak for businesses and the public to take drastic social distancing measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

He said the order lasts through June but could be shortened if the pandemic recedes.

The Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest is among the largest in the U.S. Forest Service system, with large swaths of terrain in southern Nevada near Las Vegas, western Nevada and eastern California just outside the Lake Tahoe Basin and islands of mountainous land throughout central and northeastern Nevada.