Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said the region is continuing to make progress in its fight against the COVID-19 virus.
The seven-day moving average of new cases is at 19, the lowest it has been since June 3, 2020. The test positivity rate for the county has fallen to 4.2%. Dick said this is especially encouraging considering that it comes in the wake of new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines stating that fully vaccinated people need not wear masks in most outdoor or indoor settings.
Dick said Washoe County is leading all other counties in the state for vaccination rates, with 55% of those 12 and older having had at least a first shot and 47% of residents fully vaccinated. Accounting for only those 16 and older, more than 55% are fully vaccinated.
Hours for the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center vaccination point of distribution (POD) are now posted online. Residents need not schedule an appointment to get vaccinated, though they’re welcome to as a time-saving measure.
Free rides to the vaccination POD are available through RTC, Uber and Lyft. Dick said those who are housebound should contact the district to learn about options to have the vaccine brought to them.
Dick also stressed that the federal government has “warned” Immigration and Customs Enforcement off from vaccine locations. He said people need not worry about coming to get a vaccine, regardless of their immigration status.
“Nobody should feel that they’re in any way in danger by coming to get the vaccination,” Dick said.
Thursday morning, the livestock events center POD will be stocked with the single-dose Janssen vaccine.
REMSA is helping the health district with vaccine PODs through a partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine. On Friday, they will be running a POD at Saint Therese Church of the Little Flower on Plumb between 3 and 6 p.m. They’ll be at the church again on Saturday for a POD between 2 and 7 p.m.
Other community PODs during the month of June will include a second-dose POD at Bishop Manogue High School on June 4, second and first doses at St. Peter’s Church on June 6, the Humane Society on June 11 and doses at Great Basin Brew Pub on June 17.
The health district is recommending people, especially the unvaccinated, to celebrate Memorial Day weekend with outside gatherings. Dick said he’d like to remind people that the unvaccinated and, in some rare cases the vaccinated, are still at risk of contracting COVID-19.
