3 additional COVID-19-related deaths, 57 new cases, 250 recoveries reported

Positivity rate under 8%, active cases under 6,000 & Health District administers 40,000th vaccine

Feb. 19, 2021. Reno/Sparks, NV – The Regional Information Center is reporting three additional COVID-19-related deaths in Washoe County, 57 new cases and 250 recoveries. The deceased are two females in their 60s and a male in his 80s; all had an underlying health condition, and 638 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported in Washoe County since March 2020.

According to the NV Health Response state COVID-19 dashboard, the positivity rate in Washoe County dropped to 7.9%. The threshold for elevated disease transmission established by the State is 8%. Washoe County is currently flagged for just one of the three criteria for elevated disease transmission: the case rate per 100,000 population over the last 30 days is at 493 (threshold is 200). For comparison, the case rate per 100,000 population reached its highest point in Washoe County on Dec. 6 at 2,310.

On the vaccine front, the Washoe County Health District administered its 40,000th COVID-19 vaccine dose on Thursday. For the day, the Health District administered 1,380 vaccines (716 second doses) and has administered 40,050 vaccines overall (14,902 fully vaccinated). Renown Health recently surpassed 29,000 vaccines administered, Community Health Alliance has administered over 2,300 and Reno Fire Department is approaching 2,000. See more vaccine distribution numbers in Washoe County here.

Residents aged 65-69 can start receiving the vaccine next week from pharmacies part of the federal pharmacy partnership program. The Washoe County Health District will continue to administer vaccine to residents 70 years and older. More than 51,000 people in Washoe County are aged 70 years and older. More information can be found here.

See data on how many vaccine doses providers in Washoe County are administering here.

• Total COVID-19 cases in Washoe County: 42,537 (+57 from 2/18)
• Deaths: 638 (+3)
• Recovered: 36,019 (+250)
• Active cases: 5,880 (-196)
• Hospitalized with COVID-19*: 48 (-11)
• Vaccines administered in Washoe County total**: 97,678 (+4,946 from 2/17)
• Vaccines administered by Washoe County Health District***: 40,050 (+1,380 from 2/18)

*Data from Nevada Hospital Association (not updated on weekends) includes residents from outside of Washoe County.

**This number includes first and second doses and is updated by the state of Nevada every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and can be found here under “Vaccinations” tab.

***This number is approximate and is only COVID-19 vaccines administered by the Health District. It includes first and second doses.

COVID-19 tests performed in Washoe County

• Total number of COVID-19 tests performed in Washoe County as of February 19: 366,163 (+700 since 2/18)

Note: These figures are provided by the State of Nevada and can be found on the State Dashboard. COVID-19 tests may include non-Washoe County residents who were tested in Washoe County.

Hospital bed and ventilator information

According to the Nevada Hospital Association, in Washoe County as of February 19 (Numbers not updated on weekends):

• 68 percent staffed hospital beds are occupied (+0% since 2/18)
• 65 percent of all licensed hospital beds are occupied (+0%)
• 45 percent of all Intensive Care Unit beds are occupied (+0%)
• 13 percent of all ventilators are in use (+1%)

NOTE: Numbers are for all hospital patients in Washoe County and not just COVID-19 patients.

Update on senior vaccines for ages 65-69

Several organizations have been granted approval from State or Federal partners to administer vaccine to seniors aged 65-69. Most organizations will start vaccinating that age group next week. See the list of providers administering vaccine to seniors in Washoe County here.

Vaccine administration at the Livestock Events Center will be for those 70 years and older for the time being. Seniors 65-69 can sign up for the Senior COVID-19 Vaccine Waiting List here.

New COVID-19 vaccine dashboard launched

The Regional Information Center has launched a new COVID-19 vaccine dashboard that details how many vaccine doses have been administered by Washoe County providers, except for some pharmacies. The new dashboard can be viewed here and is on the www.COVID19WashoeVaccine.com website. The data is intended to be supplementary to the COVID-19 vaccine data posted by the State of Nevada (view here). The data is updated by the provider and has not necessarily been entered into the state’s immunization record platform, WebIZ, at the time of reporting. 

Need a COVID-19 test? It’s easy to sign up and it’s free

COVID-19 testing is still available at the Livestock Events Center and can be scheduled online here (en español aqui) or by calling 775-328-2427. It’s free and it does not matter if you have symptoms or not.

The COVID-19 Regional Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. While press releases are only sent periodically for significant events, you can always get daily results on our website, https://covid19washoe.com/, our COVID-19 Dashboard or by following us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Regional Transportation Commission, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, 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. 

2 additional COVID-19-related deaths, 38 new cases, 266 recoveries reported

Feb. 18, 2021. Reno/Sparks, NV – The Regional Information Center is reporting two additional COVID-19-related deaths in Washoe County: a female in her 50s and a male in his 70s; both had an underlying health condition. There have been 635 COVID-19-related deaths in Washoe County since March 2020.

Additionally, we’re reporting 38 new COVID-19 cases in Washoe County with 266 recoveries.

The Washoe County Health District administered 744 additional COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday (0 second doses) and 38,670 overall. Vaccine administration took place outside typical business hours from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and included both seniors 70 years and older as well as frontline essential workforce.

Residents aged 65-69 can start receiving the vaccine next week from pharmacies part of the federal pharmacy partnership program. The Washoe County Health District will continue to administer vaccine to residents 70 years and older. More than 51,000 people in Washoe County are aged 70 years and older. More information can be found here.

See data on how many vaccine doses providers in Washoe County are administering here.

• Total COVID-19 cases in Washoe County: 42,480 (+38 from 2/17)
• Deaths: 635 (+2)
• Recovered: 35,769 (+266)
• Active cases: 6,076 (-230)
• Hospitalized with COVID-19*: 59 (-2)
• Vaccines administered in Washoe County total**: 92,732 (+17,300 from 2/10)
• Vaccines administered by Washoe County Health District***: 38,670 (+744 from 2/17)

*Data from Nevada Hospital Association (not updated on weekends or holidays) includes residents from outside of Washoe County.

**This number includes first and second doses and is updated by the state of Nevada every Wednesday and can be found here under “Vaccinations” tab.

***This number is approximate and is only COVID-19 vaccines administered by the Health District. It includes first and second doses.

COVID-19 tests performed in Washoe County

• Total number of COVID-19 tests performed in Washoe County as of February 18: 365,463 (+1,205 since 2/17)

Note: These figures are provided by the State of Nevada and can be found on the State Dashboard. COVID-19 tests may include non-Washoe County residents who were tested in Washoe County.

Hospital bed and ventilator information

According to the Nevada Hospital Association, in Washoe County as of February 18 (Numbers not updated on weekends):

• 68 percent staffed hospital beds are occupied (+1% since 2/17)
• 65 percent of all licensed hospital beds are occupied (+1%)
• 45 percent of all Intensive Care Unit beds are occupied (+2%)
• 12 percent of all ventilators are in use (-3%)

NOTE: Numbers are for all hospital patients in Washoe County and not just COVID-19 patients.

New COVID-19 vaccine dashboard launched

The Regional Information Center has launched a new COVID-19 vaccine dashboard that details how many vaccine doses have been administered by Washoe County providers, except for some pharmacies. The new dashboard can be viewed here and is on the www.COVID19WashoeVaccine.com website. The data is intended to be supplementary to the COVID-19 vaccine data posted by the State of Nevada (view here). The data is updated by the provider and has not necessarily been entered into the state’s immunization record platform, WebIZ, at the time of reporting. 

Need a COVID-19 test? It’s easy to sign up and it’s free

COVID-19 testing is still available at the Livestock Events Center and can be scheduled online here (en español aqui) or by calling 775-328-2427. It’s free and it does not matter if you have symptoms or not.

Know a Senior 70+? Help them get the COVID-19 vaccine

More than 7,000 seniors 70 years and older who signed up for the Washoe County Senior COVID-19 vaccine list have been invited to schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine. As a way to serve more equitably, most of those who were invited live in zip codes identified by the Washoe County Community Health Needs Assessment as most needy in terms of socioeconomic status and health outcomes. The top five zip code codes are 89431, 89433, 89501, 89502 and 89512.

If you know a senior who is interested in receiving a vaccine, whether it’s your family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, etc., we encourage you to reach out to them to see if they need help. It’s important that those 70 years and older who might have difficulty using technology get help to understand the process.

There are reports of some email invitations going to spam folders so it’s important to check all folders. It’s also important to know that just because you received an email, it doesn’t mean you’re signed up; you still need to sign up and schedule the appointment time.

Those on the list are asked to check their email inbox or their phone voicemail to see if they were selected. If there are any issues, please call 775-328-2427 or email covidvaccine@washoecounty.us. You can sign up for the senior wait list here, or see other options to receive the vaccine for seniors 70+ here.

The vaccine remains in short supply, but community organizations are working diligently to schedule seniors 70 and older, as well as vaccinate those eligible as part of the frontline/essential workforce. See the priority groups, per the State’s COVID-19 Playbook, here.

The COVID-19 Regional Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. While press releases are only sent periodically for significant events, you can always get daily results on our website, https://covid19washoe.com/, our COVID-19 Dashboard or by following us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Regional Transportation Commission, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, 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. 

Weekly COVID-19 Vaccine Community Newsletter – Feb. 18, 2021

Updates for frontline / essential workforce

Feb. 18, 2021. Reno/Sparks, NV – The Regional Information Center is providing a COVID-19 vaccine community newsletter in Washoe County to help educate residents on the mass vaccination effort by the COVID-19 Response Team and community partners. We plan to send out every Thursday moving forward.

Update from the COVID-19 Response Team

Providers in Washoe County have administered 92,732 COVID-19 vaccines overall (31,085 second doses), with 16,559 happening between Feb. 10-16, 2021. Visit the State of Nevada’s vaccine dashboard to see more. Updates will now be provided by the State on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and no longer just Wednesdays.

Update on 65-69 age group

We appreciate your patience and assure that those 65-69 are next in line within the General Population Lane. Beginning next week, Governor Steve Sisolak announced immunizations opportunities will be available for Nevadans 65 and older through the federal pharmacy partnership program. Those pharmacies include:

• Smith’s – Sign up onlineor call 1-800-576-4377
• Walgreens – Sign up onlineor call 1–800–925–4733
• Walmart – Sign up online
• Sam’s Club – Sign up online

Other providers in the region who have been approved by State or Federal government to vaccinate those 65 and older include:

• Renown Health – Starting Feb. 23, seniors 65+ are eligible. Sign up for MyChart or call 775-982-2781
• Community Health Alliance – Sign up online or call 775-336-3035
• North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District – Learn more here or call 775-831-0351
• Incline Village Community Hospital – Learn more here or call 530-587-6011
• VA Hospital – Sign up online or call 775-786-7200

Due to limited allocations of the vaccine, the following partners will remain focused on vaccinating seniors 70+, which is more than 50,000 people in Washoe County:

• Washoe County Health District – Sign up for the senior wait listor call 775-328-2427
• Saint Mary’s – Call 775-770-3000
• Sparks Fire Department – Sign up online

COVID-19 variant from South Africa confirmed in Washoe County

The Nevada State Public Health Laboratory has confirmed the first B.1.351 South African variant of COVID-19 in Washoe County. See more details here.

Update on Frontline / Essential Workforce

We have begun administering the COVID-19 vaccination to front facing state service staff (i.e. Department of Motor Vehicle employees), mortuary services and essential transportation. Please reach out to your employer for more information if you fall into these groups. We expect to move into Frontline Supply Chain Logistics next week. For more information, please click here.

Do you need to be taken off the waiting list?

If you have received the COVD-19 vaccine from a location other than the Washoe County Health District (i.e. a pharmacy or healthcare provider) and need to be taken off the waiting list, please let us know by calling 775-328-2427 or emailing covidvaccine@washoecounty.us. This will help us immensely as we move through the list to schedule appointments as they become available.

Mask On. Move On.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people wear masks in public settings, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people. Effective February 2, 2021, masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.  Wearing masks remains mandatory in Nevada under the Governor’s Emergency Directive. When selecting a mask, there are many choices – click here to see the do’s and don’ts.

CDC Update on Fully Vaccinated People

CDC has noted that people who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, meaning they have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, can skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with the virus. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop taking precautions. It is important that you continue to protect yourself and others by wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands.

For all COVID-19 Vaccine questions, please visit our regional website, www.COVID19WashoeVaccine.com.

Please share: If you know of someone who wants to receive this newsletter, pass along the link to sign up. https://covid19washoe.com/signup/

The COVID-19 Regional Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. While press releases are only sent periodically for significant events, you can always get daily results on our website, https://covid19washoe.com/, our COVID-19 Dashboard or by following us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Regional Transportation Commission, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, 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.

South African variant of COVID-19 confirmed in Washoe County

Feb. 18, 2021. Reno/Sparks, NV – The Washoe County Health District (WCHD) is urging the public to be vigilant against COVID-19 as a new variant originated in South Africa has been confirmed by the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory (NSPHL).

The confirmed case of the B.1.351 South African variant is a male in his 40s with recent travel from South Africa. WCHD conducted an investigation and determined the case was not infectious during travel. This is the first confirmed case of the B.1.351 variant in Washoe County and the state of Nevada. See more about the genomic sequencing information from NSPHL here.

NSPHL Director Mark Pandori and WCHD Epidemiology Program Manager Heather Kerwin will be on today’s 11 a.m. COVID-19 Media Availability to discuss the confirmed case. 

“As new variants of COVID-19 emerge in Washoe County, we cannot overstate the importance of wearing a mask, social distancing and limiting contact with those outside your household,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for Washoe County. “We’re still learning a lot about these mutations of COVID-19 and it’s imperative that residents be aware of these new strains. As we see our COVID-19 positivity rate and cases per day trend downward, it’s important to not lower our guard. Past experiences in October-November have shown that this disease can wreak havoc on our community very quickly and we certainly don’t want to take a step backward.”

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports just 19 confirmed cases of the B.1.351 variant in 10 states. The CDC states that though there is no evidence to suggest this variant has any impact on disease severity, there is some evidence the variant could affect how COVID-19 vaccine neutralizing antibodies perform, meaning current COVID-19 vaccines might not be as effective in protecting those from contracting the virus.

“We appreciate the hard work and diligence of Dr. Pandori and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory in taking the tedious but necessary steps to identify new COVID-19 strains in our community,” Dick said.