COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada
[1] On March 5, 2020, Nevada reported its first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19):[4] a Las Vegas resident in his 50s who had recently traveled to Washington, the first state infected by the virus.
[10] Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman opposed the length of his shutdown order,[11] and would become a critic of his actions during the pandemic, urging him to reopen the state.
[15] On April 1, 2020, he extended the closure of non-essential businesses through the end of the month, in accordance with new federal guidelines issued by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
[20] In an interview on April 23, 2020, Goodman again said the closure should be ended, and received wide criticism after suggesting that Las Vegas become a control group to test the effectiveness of social distancing.
[21] Shortly thereafter, former professional poker player Doug Polk launched a recall effort against Goodman, stating that she "failed to responsibly represent her constituency" and demonstrated a "clear disregard" for public health.
It included the reopening of bars, bowling alleys, gyms, movie theaters, pools, spas, state parks, and tattoo shops.
[100][101] His first executive orders officially eliminated any remaining COVID-19 mandates made by Sisolak, and also required state office employees to resume in-person work within six months.
[104][105] One of Nevada's last remaining COVID-19 safety protocols, a state bill which mandated the daily cleaning of hotel rooms, was repealed by Lombardo a week later.
[149] At the time, Sisolak said that many residents were also wearing them, but that some businesses were not complying as required and would face punishment: "Our goal is to continue reopening more of Nevada's economy in a safe and responsible manner.
[153] The Culinary Workers Union said it would take legal action unless gaming properties implemented more COVID-19 safety measures, including a mask requirement for all casino guests and employees.
[74] However, in July 2021, Sisolak reinstated the mask mandate for indoor public spaces in all counties deemed to have high transmission rates, with no exception for the vaccinated.
[163] The state would review new infection rate data on a weekly basis, and each affected county would need to see a two-week drop in cases for the mandate to be lifted.
Because Moderna's vaccine can be stored at higher temperatures, it was considered better for rural areas of the state, where extremely cold storage conditions would be harder to achieve.
[203] Vaccination rates were particularly low among Latino residents, prompting organizations to launch a campaign which included Spanish-language billboards and pop-up clinics in Hispanic areas.
[220] An antibody study, conducted in the Reno-Sparks area during mid-2020, found that COVID-19 testing was largely undercounting the actual number of positive cases, concluding that four to five times more people had likely been infected.
[245][246] Sisolak said the reopening of casino restaurants was primarily meant to benefit small communities such as Ely – where dining options are limited – rather than places like Las Vegas.
[264] The Culinary Workers Union held protests, demanding specific information on how casino companies planned to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe.
Prior to that point, the impending return of gambling had showed a pent-up demand, leading some companies to expand the number of properties set to reopen on the Strip.
[70] At the time, there were 13 casinos across the state that had yet to reopen,[280] and the number of poker tables in Clark County had decreased 33 percent from a year earlier, a result of the pandemic.
[222] The Las Vegas tourism industry lost an estimated $34 billion that year,[289] and the city's economy was not expected to make a full recovery until some time between 2022 and 2024.
[314][315] In the Las Vegas Valley, a housing assistance program was launched by the local government in mid-2020, providing financial aid to renters and mortgage owners affected by the pandemic.
[316][317] In addition, the Clark County Commission unanimously passed a five-month emergency ordinance, making it illegal for landlords to refuse rental to people struggling financially.
This would provide counties and the state government more time to fully implement programs – including short-term rental assistance – which would help landlords and residents.
[347] At the end of 2020, White Pine County passed a resolution allowing the local sheriff and district attorney to choose when to enforce Sisolak's directives.
[342] Lyon County declared an economic emergency and passed a similar resolution in January 2021, giving local businesses the option to ignore Sisolak's restrictions.
[352][353][354] In contrast to Sisolak's order, Mayor Goodman had wanted schools in Las Vegas to remain open, with people assigned to all entrances to check student temperatures.
[373] In addition, more than 100 Washoe County teachers had protested against school reopenings, stating that the facilities were not adequately prepared and that pandemic conditions were not yet safe for in-person learning.
Boxing matches were also approved to take place in a closed studio in an MGM Grand conference hall, with a protected "bubble" having been constructed to secure the boxers and essential staff.
[405] In April 2020, Democrats filed a lawsuit against Cegavske, seeking additional polling locations for the primary, and requesting that a ban on ballot harvesting be lifted to better assist voters.
[410] On August 4, 2020, in response to the mail-in ballot plan, Trump's lawyers filed a lawsuit against Cegavske on behalf of his presidential re-election campaign and the Republican Party.
