Members of Nevada’s National Guard will extend their duty assisting with COVID-19 operations through March 31, 2021 Gov. Steve Sisolak announced today.
Nevada’s Guard members were originally activated in April and slated to aid in coronavirus-related activities through the end of the year when federal emergency funding was set to expire. A recently issued memorandum from the Trump administration, however, extended federal support through the first quarter of 2021. Nevada will cover 25% of the costs with the remaining 75% supplied by federal accounts.
“While there is hope on the horizon with the recent progress on COVID-19 vaccines, our response and recovery efforts remain as critical as ever and Nevada will undoubtedly benefit from the Guard’s ability to continue their vital role during this crisis,” said Gov. Sisolak in a statement.
Nevada National Guard members have taken on a variety of roles during the pandemic, including contact tracing, providing operational support at testing sites and assisting with food distribution and staff in the state emergency operations center.
“Guard members have also established four ongoing community based sample collection sites and staffed 24 mobile sample collection teams around rural Nevada. Ten of the mobile teams traveled to Native American communities throughout the State,” the statement noted.
This has been the largest and lengthiest activation of the Nevada National Guard in the State’s history.
