May 11, 2023. Reno/Sparks, Nev. – COVID-19 testing and vaccines remain available through the Washoe County Health District despite the end of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration on May 11, 2023.
Many of the same services and information updates will continue to be available, including:
- Free COVID-19 bivalent vaccines at the Washoe County Health District – call 775-328-2427.
- Opportunities are also available at local pharmacies and by going to vaccines.gov.
- The region’s COVID-19 website, COVID19Washoe.com
- COVID-19 vaccine events in the community
- Homebound vaccines and testing
- Updated COVID-19 data on our dashboard
- COVID-19 testing at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center – schedule an appointment online or call 775-328-2427
- Starting May 22, 2023, only home visit testing will be available
“As the emergency declaration ends, the Health District’s commitment to the community remains,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer in Washoe County. “We are thankful that vaccines are in place to reduce the risk of serious impact from COVID-19 and that treatments are available if someone becomes ill. We encourage those who are eligible to get the COVID-19 bivalent vaccine as soon as possible.”
“I’m proud of the work the Health District staff and community partners have done during the COVID-19 response. I hope this was a once-in-a-lifetime situation, but it’s good to know that our community can step up in ways previously unimaginable in a time of need, and for that I’m very grateful.”
Since March 2020, the Health District has devoted considerable resources to the COVID-19 response and served the community in many ways, including:
- Vaccines administered by WCHD: 219,387
- 187,713 – Vaccines administered at Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center
- 19,941 – At Community Vaccine Events
- That includes 228 total events at 84 different locations
- 6,608 – To homebound residents
- 5,575 – At the Health District clinic
- COVID-19 cases investigated: 103,011
- COVID-19 cases interviewed: 70,615
- Number of interviewed COVID cases who opted-in to a call from the Nevada Resilience Project’s ambassador program: 39,300
- Calls taken by COVID-19 Call Center: 129,689
- 2020 – 30,558
- 2021 – 75,254
- 2022 – 22,726
- 2023 – 1,151
- COVID-19 tests administered: 100,762
- 2020 – 61,725
- 2021 – 31,048
- 2022 – 7,896
- 2023 – 93
- Homebound COVID-19 tests administered: 1,369
- 2020: 214
- 2021: 429
- 2022: 461
- 2023: 265
- Press releases distributed (including daily updates): 545
- 160 – Media briefings held
- 2,923,924 – Total pageviews on COVID19Washoe.com
- 5,000+ – Followers on the COVID19Washoe Twitter account
- 30,000+ – Subscribers to the COVID-19 Washoe Newsletter
- Homebound COVID-19 tests administered: 1,369
Tragically, 1,341 Washoe County residents have died due to COVID-19; however, Washoe County’s confirmed COVID-19 death rate of 270 per 100,000 population is significantly lower than Nevada’s confirmed COVID-19 death rate of 373 per 100,000 population, and the national COVID-19 confirmed death rate of 341 per 100,000 population.
More information on COVID-19 in Washoe County can be found here.
The Washoe County Health District is nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board and has jurisdiction over all public health matters in Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County through the policy-making Washoe County District Board of Health. The District consists of five divisions: Administrative Health Services, Air Quality Management, Community and Clinical Health Services, Environmental Health Services and Epidemiology & Public Health Preparedness. More info can be found here