by Washoe County | Mar 14, 2024 | En Español, Press Release
Reno, Sparks, Nev. Marzo 2024. El Northern Nevada Public Health reflexiona acerca del 4to aniversario de la pandemia de COVID-19
Este Marzo se cumple el 4to aniversario desde el comienzo de la mayor crisis sanitaria de los últimos 100 años: la pandemia de COVID-19. El 12 de Marzo del 2020, el Estado de Nevada declaró el estado de emergencia por el COVID-19. El 15 del mismo mes, se reportó la primera muerte en Nevada vinculada al virus, seguida por la primera en el Condado de Washoe el día 28. Para el 31 de Marzo del 2020, en Nevada, ya habían más de 1000 casos de COVID-19 y 15 muertes.
En ese momento, el COVID-19 se propagaba rápidamente, y sabíamos muy poco acerca de él. Los organismos de Salud y otros oficiales de gobierno debieron reaccionar rápidamente usando todos los recursos disponibles para lidiar con el crecimiento de los casos de COVID-19 y el número de muertos, para reducir su propagación.
Lamentablemente, al 12 de Marzo del 2024, 1.433 residentes del Condado de Washoe perdieron la vida por el COVID-19. A lo largo de estos 4 años, el Northern Nevada Public Health (antes conocido como el Distrito de Salud del Condado Washoe) ha dedicado recursos considerables a la respuesta contra el COVID-19, administrando más de 220.000 vacunas y más de 100.000 pruebas de COVID, e investigando más de 100.000 casos. No ha sido fácil, requirió el sacrificio de profesionales de la salud y todos para cuidar a la comunidad, la voluntad del personal del NNPH de arriesgar su propia salud, y la cooperación de la comunidad entera.
Si bien estamos en un lugar mucho mejor en comparación al comienzo de la pandemia, tomémonos unos momentos para reflexionar acerca del camino recorrido desde el 2020 y cómo han cambiado las cosas desde los tiempos de las pruebas y vacunaciones desde los automóviles, la escasez de papel higiénico, y la pérdida de trabajo por enfermedad o el cierre de negocios no esenciales.
Gracias al inagotable trabajo y compromiso con la comunidad, ahora contamos con herramientas para proteger contra la enfermedad severa causada por el COVID-19, como las vacunas, que son más accesibles y actualizadas frecuentemente para protegernos de nuevas variantes, y tratamientos antivirales. E igualmente importante es que ahora contamos con el conocimiento y la información necesarias para tomar decisiones educadas acerca de cómo proteger nuestra salud. Estar informados nos dió esperanza durante el pico de la pandemia: conocer qué es el virus, qué hace, y cómo combatirlo. El NNPH le hizo su prioridad que la información sea accesible para todos, sin importar su idioma, edad, estatus social o migratorio.
El NNPH se acercó a la comunidad donde estaba, en redes sociales, eventos comunitarios, espacios religiosos y escuelas, para asegurarse que los miembros de la comunidad tuvieran acceso a la información y a las vacunas. Ha sido un largo camino. Es probable que el virus se quede con nosotros tanto como el de la gripe, continuamente mutando y manteniéndose relevante. La mejor protección es simple y fácil – el lavado frecuente de manos, buena circulación de aire y, por sobre todo, actualizar la vacuna de COVID-19 según lo recomendado.
Hoy queremos honrar a todo el personal de salud, a todas las personas que sufren los efectos a largo plazo del virus, a todas las familias que perdieron un ser querido, y a todos aquellos que hicieron su parte para ayudarnos a atravesar la pandemia. Gracias por apoyar nuestra causa todos estos años, por acompañar en los malos tiempos, y por hacer lo necesario para mantenernos seguros y sanos.
Finalmente, queremos invitarlos a mirar un documental que muestra la respuesta al COVID-19 en el Condado de Washoe. El documental (que puede verse en este enlace), muestra el detrás de escena de la respuesta regional al COVID-19, liderada por el Northern Nevada Public Health, con apoyo de la Ciudad de Reno, la Ciudad de Sparks, el Condado de Washoe, la Guardia Nacional de Nevada, REMSA Health, Reno Fire, Sparks Fire, Truckee Meadows Fire, los voluntarios de el Cuerpo de Reserva Medico y el Equipo Comunitario de Respuesta ante Emergencia, los hospitales del área, y muchas organizaciones más. Lee más acerca de este documental aquí.
by Washoe County | Mar 13, 2024 | Press Release
Reno, Sparks, Nev., March 2024. Northern Nevada Public Health looks back at COVID-19 on 4th anniversary
This March marks the 4-year anniversary since the beginning of largest health crisis in a century: COVID-19 pandemic. On March 12, 2020, the State of Nevada declared a state of emergency for COVID-19. On March 15, 2020, the first COVID-19-related death in Nevada was reported followed by the first death in Washoe County on March 28, 2020. By March 31, 2020, Nevada had surpassed 1,000 COVID-19 cases and the death toll was up to 15.
At the time COVID-19 spread quickly and very little was known about the virus. Health and other government officials had to move quickly using all available resources to deal with the rapid growing number of COVID cases and the death toll, to slow the spread.
Sadly, 1,433 Washoe County residents lost their lives because of COVID-19 as of March 12, 2024.
Throughout these four years, Northern Nevada Public Health (formerly the Washoe County Health District) has devoted considerable resources to the COVID-19 response administering over 220,000 COVID-19 vaccines, investigating over 100,000 cases, and administering over 100,000 COVID tests.
It hasn’t been easy. It required the sacrifice of healthcare professionals and others to care for the community, the willingness of NNPH staff to risk their own health, and the cooperation of the entire community.
Even though we’re in a much better position than when COVID first began, let’s take a minute to reflect about how far we’ve come since 2020 and how things have changed since the times of drive-through testing and vaccination operations, toilet paper shortages, and people losing their jobs due to illness or nonessential business closures.
Thanks to the endless work and commitment to the community, there are now tools to protect against serious illness from COVID-19, such as vaccines that are now more accessible and that are regularly updated to protect us from new variants, and antiviral treatments. Just as important, we now have the knowledge and information we need to make educated decisions about how to protect our health.
Being informed gave peace of mind during the height of the pandemic: knowing what the virus was, what it does, and how to fight it. NNPH made it a priority to make information accessible to everyone, no matter their language, age, social status, or immigration status.
NNPH met the community where they were through social media, community events, religious spaces, and schools to help ensure members of the community had access to information and vaccines.
It’s been a long road. The virus will most likely stay with us much as the flu virus has, continually mutating and staying relevant. The best protection is simple and easy – frequent handwashing, fresh air and best of all, updating your COVID-19 vaccines as recommended.
Today, we want to honor all the health workers, all the people who suffer the long-term side effects of the virus, all the families that lost someone dear, and everyone who did their part to help us get through the pandemic. Thank you for supporting the cause all these years, for hanging in there during the bad times, and for doing what we must to stay safe and healthy.
Finally, we invite you to watch a COVID-19 documentary that showcases the COVID-19 response in Washoe County. The documentary, (which can be viewed here), gives a behind-the-scenes look at the COVID-19 regional response that was led by Northern Nevada Public with support from the City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County, Nevada National Guard, REMSA Health, Reno Fire, Sparks Fire, Truckee Meadows Fire, Medical Reserve Corp and Community Emergency Response Team volunteers, area hospitals and many more organizations. Read more about this documentary here.
by Washoe County | Oct 3, 2023 | Press Release
Updated vaccine to protect from current variants in our community – available at NNPH starting Monday
Sept. 28, 2023. Reno/Sparks, Nev. – Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH), formerly the Washoe County Health District, will begin administering the updated COVID-19 vaccine primarily to serve people who don’t have health insurance or who are under-insured starting Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, at its main clinic at 1001 E. 9th St., Building B in Reno. The updated vaccine is recommended for anyone 6 months of age and older.
Appointments can be made by calling 775-328-2402. NNPH will provide the vaccine to people who are uninsured or underinsured with a low administrative fee; however, no patient will be turned away for financial reasons.
People who have health insurance are urged to contact their health provider or go to vaccines.gov to get the COVID-19 vaccine at a local pharmacy – see a list of providers near you at vaccines.gov. Most health plans will cover the cost of the COVID-19 and flu vaccines; however, if your health plan doesn’t, or if you’re having any issue getting a COVID-19 vaccine for yourself, a child or other family member, please call NNPH at 775-328-2402.
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is designed to prevent hospitalization and death from COVID-19 variants found in our community and nationwide, especially those who are most vulnerable like seniors and people who are immunocompromised. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is urging those 6 months and older to get the updated one-dose vaccine. They are also recommended to get the flu vaccine, and the new RSV vaccine is available to those 60 and older.
COVID-19 cases in Washoe County increased in early September to a point where about 60 cases per day were being reported (that does not count positive at-home tests), which was the highest level since December 2022.
According to the latest local COVID-19 data, the 7-day moving average for new COVID-19 cases per day is 32.6. There have been 1,382 COVID-19-related deaths reported since March 2020 with nine deaths reported in the last two months.
“The updated COVID-19 is the best form of protection from this disease as we enter respiratory disease season next week,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for NNPH. “As much as we all want COVID-19 to be eradicated, we can’t ignore that cases are still being reported and people are still dying from the disease. We hope that people make time to get themselves and their families vaccinated, especially those who could suffer serious impacts from the disease.”
For more information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine, who’s eligible and more can be found here. For Washoe County COVID-19 information, go to www.COVID19Washoe.com or www.COVID19Washoe.com/espanol.
Please note the Washoe County Health District changed its name to Northern Nevada Public Health on Aug. 31, 2023. More information is here.
Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) 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 District Board of Health. NNPH 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.
by Washoe County | May 11, 2023 | Press Release
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:
“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
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
by Washoe County | Oct 19, 2022 | Press Release
Reno, Sparks, Nev., Oct. 19, 2022. Children aged 5 years and older are eligible for the updated COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster that fights against common COVID-19 omicron variants, and opportunities are available community-wide to receive it.
The updated booster, known as a bivalent vaccine, was authorized for children aged 5-11 last week by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help protect against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants. Those variants are still causing most cases of COVID-19 and are predicted to continue to circulate this fall and winter. The Pfizer version of the booster is for those 5 years and older while the Moderna version is for those 6 years and older.
The Health District is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, from 4-6 p.m., at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (4590 S. Virginia St., Reno) that will have the Moderna updated bivalent booster for all residents 6 years and older. Schedule an appointment here – very few walk-ins will be permitted.
Most pharmacies in Washoe County also have COVID-19 booster options for children 5 and older and appointments can be made by going to www.vaccines.gov.
The Health District also has appointments available to receive the updated booster at its clinic at 1001 E. 9th St., Building B, in Reno. Call 775-328-2427 to make an appointment. The Health District’s community vaccine events and clinic operations offer both boosters and primary series doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Those who have already received a COVID-19 booster, as well as those who have completed their primary series doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, are eligible as long certain age requirements are met and it has been at least two months since the last dose.
See this form to determine if you’re eligible to get a booster and when.
Eligibility of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 bivalent booster
- For the Pfizer bivalent booster, those 5 and older are eligible if it has been two months since you received the primary vaccine series, or two months since receiving the original COVID-19 booster, known as a “monovalent” vaccine.
- Note: The first authorized COVID-19 vaccine, which launched in December 2020 and has been administered to millions of people, and booster is known as a monovalent vaccine because its protection was based on only the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is designed to provide better protection against both the original strain and the BA. 4 and BA. 5 omicron variants.
- For the Moderna bivalent COVID-19 booster, those 6 years of age and older are eligible if it has been two months since you received the primary vaccine series or two months since receiving the original COVID-19 booster, known as a “monovalent” vaccine.
- Fill out this interactive form to determine booster eligibility here
The Pfizer vaccine was previously authorized for use in people 12 years and older, and the Moderna vaccine was previously authorized for adults.
Locations to get an updated COVID-19 booster
The Washoe County Health District will offer the Pfizer vaccine on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at its main clinic as well as Moderna on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also vaccine opportunities at its community vaccine events:
Other opportunities:
- Community Health Alliance has appointments available for the bivalent COVID-19 booster, as well as the monovalent COVID-19 vaccine. Go here for appointments.
- vaccines.gov has appointments at pharmacies and other providers in Washoe County and beyond.
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 testing at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center is available weekly. Schedule an appointment 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.
by Washoe County | Sep 7, 2022 | Press Release
UPDATED: Dec. 9, 2022: The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention expanded eligibility for the bivalent COVID-19 booster for ages 6 months and older (third dose only). Learn more here.
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Reno, Sparks, Nev., Sept. 7, 2022. The updated COVID-19 vaccine booster that fights against common COVID-19 omicron variants is available this week in Washoe County at select pharmacies, the Washoe County Health District and other community providers.
The updated booster, known as a bivalent vaccine, was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week to help protect against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants. Those variants are currently causing most cases of COVID-19 and are predicted to continue to circulate this fall and winter.
Those who have already received a COVID-19 booster, as well as those who have completed their primary series doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, are eligible as long certain age requirements are met and it has been at least two months since the last dose.
See this form to determine if you’re eligible to get a booster and when.
The Health District is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S Virginia St., Reno (not the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center), that will have the updated bivalent booster for residents. Schedule an appointment here, but note that the option for the updated booster might not be apparent on the website but it will be offered at the event.
The Health District also has appointments available starting Thursday to receive the updated booster at its clinic at 1001 E. 9th St., Building B, in Reno. Call 775-328-2427 to make an appointment. The Health District’s community vaccine events and clinic operations offer both boosters and primary series doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Eligibility of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 bivalent booster
- For the Pfizer bivalent booster, those 12 and older are eligible if it has been two months since you received the primary vaccine series, or two months since receiving the original COVID-19 booster, known as the “monovalent.”
- Note: The first authorized COVID-19 vaccine, which launched in December 2020 and has been administered to millions of people, and booster is known as a monovalent vaccine because it protected against only the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine protects against both the original strain and the BA. 4 and BA. 5 omicron variants.
- Those aged 5-11 years can still receive the Pfizer monovalent COVID-19 booster.
- For the Moderna bivalent COVID-19 booster, those 18 years of age and older are eligible if it has been two months since you received the primary vaccine series or two months since receiving a monovalent COVID-19 booster.
- For those aged 12-17 years who received a Moderna monovalent COVID-19 vaccine for their primary series, you can receive a Pfizer bivalent booster.
- Fill out this interactive form to determine booster eligibility here
Locations to get an updated COVID-19 booster
The Washoe County Health District will offer the Pfizer vaccine on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at its main clinic as well as Moderna on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also vaccine opportunities at its community vaccine events:
Other opportunities:
- Community Health Alliance has appointments available for the bivalent COVID-19 booster, as well as the monovalent COVID-19 vaccine. Go here for appointments.
- vaccines.gov/ has appointments at pharmacies and other providers in Washoe County and beyond.
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 testing at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center is available weekly. Schedule an appointment here.
