One Washoe County COVID-19 Case Fully Recovers

Released From Self-Isolation

Health District Hotline:
775.328.2427

Reno, Nev. March 20, 2020. A Washoe County resident has fully recovered from COVID-19 and has been released from self-isolation, the Washoe County Health District (WCHD) reported.

The case is a male in his 30s who had traveled domestically. This is the first Washoe County resident who had COVID-19 to be released from self-isolation.

    Four new COVID-19 cases announced in Washoe County

The Health District announced four new cases of COVID-19 in Washoe County.

• A woman in her 60s who recently traveled domestically
• A woman in her 20s who recently traveled internationally
• A man in his 70s who is hospitalized
• A man in his 50s who is hospitalized

The two female cases are self-isolating and are in stable condition. No further information for the hospitalized patients is known at this time. Due to medical privacy requirements and to protect their identity, no further information about the cases will be released.

The total case count in Washoe County is 22. That number includes all cases, both current and those who have recovered.

Reno and Sparks Justice Court suspension of eviction notices

    Reno and Sparks Justice Courts have suspended eviction proceedings. In addition, Reno and Sparks Justice Courts and Reno Municipal Court are closed to the public. More information is here from Reno and Sparks.

Save the pipes and don’t flush wipes

Washoe County Residents are being asked by the public works agencies to only flush toilet paper and not wipes. Despite some wipes being described as “flushable,” they, in fact, do not break down in the sewer. Only human waste and toilet paper should be flushed.

Things like flushable wipes are not friendly to our lift stations or treatment plants.

School District, Food Bank of Northern Nevada offer free meals for kids

Working in partnership, the Washoe County School District and Food Bank of Northern Nevada are providing free meals for all children, aged 18 and under. See which locations here.

Nevada State Public Health Lab (NSPHL) updates number of COVID-19 tests

The NSPHL announced it will be updating the number of patients tested for COVID-19, Monday-Friday. See the updated count here.

Employer guidance for sick employees

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising employers to not require a note from a healthcare provider in order for an employee to return to work. The CDC recommends that sick employees should stay home. More info here.

Social Media

For more COVID-19 updates from the regional public information officers, follow us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe.

    The COVID-19 Regional Joint Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Reno Police Department, Reno Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, University of Nevada, Reno, Washoe County, Washoe County Health District, Washoe County School District and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Also in the group are the area hospitals, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown Health and Saint Mary’s. 

Four New Cases of COVID-19 Confirmed in Washoe County

Total number of cases is 18

Health District Hotline:
775.328.2427

Reno, Nev. March 19, 2020. The Washoe County Health District (WCHD)       confirmed four new cases of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), bringing the total number of cases in Washoe County to 18.

The four new cases are:

•       A woman in her 60s with recent travel history.
• A woman in her 30s who had close contact to a previously identified case in Washoe County.
• A man in his 70s with recent travel history.
• A woman in her 60s with recent travel history. This case contracted COVID-19 in a different state and is self-isolating there.

All cases are self-isolating and are in stable condition. The Health District is investigating and working to identify close risk contacts to prevent community spread of the disease. Due to medical privacy requirements and to protect their identity, no further information about the case will be released.

The Health District is no longer specifying case travel history.

      
Only use 9-1-1 for emergencies

Our dispatch agencies are reminding people to refrain from calling 9-1-1 for non-emergency issues related to COVID-19. Call volumes are extremely high and it’s imperative that 9-1-1 be used for life-threatening issues. See more info from REMSA on when to call 9-1-1.

COVID-19 Testing – Call Ahead

Washoe County residents are advised to call their medical provider or the Health District in regards to COVID-19 testing. Residents with symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath should call ahead before any visit to a medical provider or the Health District and not show up unannounced.

Daycare Closure Update

A list of child care closures can be found on the Washoe County Human Services Agency website.

Washoe County Treasurer Suspends Delinquent Property Tax Collection

Washoe County Treasurer, Tammi Davis, has temporarily suspended delinquent property tax collection efforts. See the full release here.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office suspending non-essential walk-in services

Front desk services offered by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office are impacted by the need to observe current social distancing practices, including CCW permitting. The Sheriff’s Office front lobby will only be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday, but business will be conducted by appointment only. Here are details about impacted services.

COVID-19 Regional Messaging Team Established

The Public Information Offices in the region are collaborating to create a COVID-19 Regional Messaging Team to deliver COVID-19 updates in a unified manner.

The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Reno Police Department, Reno Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, University of Nevada, Reno, Washoe County, Washoe County Health District, Washoe County School District and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Also in the group are the area hospitals, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown Health and Saint Mary’s. 

In the future, those entities will be referred to as the Washoe County COVID-19 Regional Messaging Team.  The lead Public Information Officer (PIO) for this effort will be Adam Mayberry with TMDFP, and Deputy PIOs Scott Oxarart with the Washoe County Health District and Bob Harmon with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Media: There are no media briefings scheduled at this time.

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