COVID-19’s impacts on the Biggest Little City continue to arise. One positive: The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County and Sierra Nevada Construction are accelerating construction operations on Virginia Street in Midtown.
“This is great news for all Midtown businesses,” said Rum Sugar Lime business owner Larry DeVincenzi. “The RTC and SNC reached out to us, they listened, and we support their plan to expedite the project. This project is going to be great when it’s done.”
Starting tomorrow, Saturday, March 21, 2020, at 6 a.m., Virginia Street will be closed from Mary Street and Center Street (roundabout construction) to Mt. Rose Street.
Traffic will be detoured to Holcomb Avenue.
“There will be no through traffic for this section of Virginia Street, but side streets will remain open so people can access essential businesses and pick up their to-go food orders from Midtown restaurants,” RTC officials said in a statement. “This closure will be effective 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week until April 17, 2020. This date is based on businesses potentially re-opening, per the governor’s mandate.”
This Is Reno’s COVID-19 news coverage

COVID-19 cases continue to rise, many cases likely unreported
The number of reported new daily COVID-19 cases more than doubled over the past two weeks, increasing from nearly 55 new cases per day to 111.

El distrito de salud ofrece refuerzos de la vacuna contra el COVID para niños de 5 a 11 años
Los funcionarios del Distrito de Salud del Condado de Washoe dijeron el viernes que ya habían comenzado a proporcionar vacunas de refuerzo contra el COVID-19 a niños de 5 a 11 años.

Health district offers COVID boosters for children ages 5-11
Washoe County Health District officials on Friday said they’d already begun providing COVID-19 booster shots to children ages 5-11.

The COVID testing company that missed 96% of cases
Ultimately, state public health officials found that Northshore’s PCR tests missed 96% of the positive cases from the university campus — errors that sent people infected with COVID-19 back into the community.

Distrito de Salud: Los casos de COVID-19 en aumento, pero aún bajos
El Oficial de Salud del Distrito del Condado de Washoe, Kevin Dick, dijo hoy que la nueva variante de omicron está creando un aumento en los casos de COVID-19.

Health District: COVID-19 cases on the rise but still low
Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick today said the new omicron variant is creating an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Health Officer: 1,200 Washoe County residents dead from COVID-19
Washoe County’s District Health Officer Kevin Dick said today that while COVID-19 cases are still in the low range, a new sad milestone was reached this week.

Masks optional at Reno airport
Masks are no longer required at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport officials announced late Monday.

Health district offers second booster doses
People over 50 or who are immunocompromised can get a second booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine starting Friday at Washoe County Health District’s Ninth Street clinic

Health officer ‘cautiously optimistic’ about declining COVID cases
Washoe County District Health Officer Kevin Dick today said he is cautiously optimistic about the declining COVID-19 cases.
Bob Conrad is publisher, editor and co-founder of This Is Reno. He has served in communications positions for various state agencies and earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2011. In addition to managing This Is Reno, he holds a part-time appointment for the Mineral County University of Nevada Extension office.