775-328-2447

Celebrate Labor Day Safely 

Recommendation is to avoid large gatherings to reduce potential COVID-19 spread

Health District Hotline:
775.328.2427

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Twitter.com/covid19washoe

Reno/Sparks, NV – With the Labor Day holiday approaching, the Regional Information Center is asking residents to avoid large gatherings to help the region continue its effort to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The region is averaging about 60 new COVID-19 cases per day and through contract tracing we are seeing that transmission of the virus is still extensive. While the numbers are trending down due to people wearing masks and socially distancing, past holiday trends have shown that the numbers can spike quickly.

“We understand the importance of Labor Day and celebrating our American workers,” said District Health Officer Kevin Dick. “To support our workers, we need to have low levels of disease transmission, and we don’t have that right now. In order to have businesses open, and workers back to work to make a living to support their families, we need to be cautious with our gatherings this holiday weekend and celebrate safely and responsibly with members of our households.”

COVID-19 cases rose after previous holidays like Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. The Governor’s directive is for gatherings to be no more than 50, but Washoe County’s recommendation is to limit the number of people in a public gathering to 25 people or less, and to 10 people or less for private gatherings.  For a situation like a Labor Day celebration, gatherings of fewer than 10 offer the best chance to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

When gathering with people from outside your household, it’s imperative that masks be worn and social distancing of 6 feet be maintained. If you plan to travel, please follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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.