Nevada governor to extend stay at home but gives few details
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak plans to extend his directive asking people to stay home to limit the spread of the coronavirus but he will ease some restrictions.
The Democratic governor said in a Wednesday interview with ABC News that Nevada's coronavirus cases and deaths have reached a plateau but he has to “extend the stay at home order a little bit” in order to see the numbers drop. Sioslak in mid-March closed casinos, restaurants and businesses that were not considered essential and asked residents to stay home at least through Thursday.
Sisolak did not offer information about how long he would extend the order. He also said that he would be easing some outdoor restrictions and rules about curbside pickup at retailers, but did not offer more details. He said the opening of Las Vegas casinos likely won't happen until the third or fourth phase of his gradual reopening plan, but he has has not released any more details or timeline.
Sisolak's office did not immediately respond to questions about how long he plans to extend the order and what rules he plans to ease. He said in a tweet this week that he will detail his reopening plan on Thursday.
“It’s nice to hear that he does have a plan, moving forward. It would be better if he would tell Nevadans what his plan is and not necessarily the national news outlets,” said Assemblyman Tom Roberts, who co-leads the Republican minority.
Frustrated Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Sisolak's office Wednesday calling for definitive timelines for more economic activity to resume and a bipartisan task force to come up with a reopening strategy. They also want more workers hired and shifting of existing government workers to handle the crush of unemployment claims.
State health officials reported 230 deaths statewide from the coronavirus outbreak. The health department also reported nearly 5,000 cases of COVID-19.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
In other developments:
— Union nurses and healthcare workers at Las Vegas hospitals promised three days of protests to highlight their call for an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation of employee protection. The Service Employees International Union planned separate job actions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at three HCA Healthcare hospitals. Union board member and nurse Jody Domineck said workers want the company to require protection beyond Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
— Nevada education administrators posted a 15-page “Path Forward Plan” for finishing the school semester without reopening campuses while planning to reopen for 2020-2021. The state Department of Education document follows the governor’s decision not to reopen schools this school year. It says a committee will be formed next month to recommend how to resume classes for some 500,000 students at 700 public and charter schools statewide.
— Up to 12 Clark County fire response units, including several paramedic squads, engine companies and one ladder truck, are being idled to save money amid decreased demand for service, mostly in the Las Vegas Strip area. Fire Chief John Steinbeck said resort corridor crews are usually among the busiest in the country, but closing casinos to stem the spread of the coronavirus caused a steep drop in the number of calls for service. A firefighters’ union official says management and labor have to work together in what he called an unprecedented situation.
— Health officials in Las Vegas want to increase testing for COVID-19 and expect to at least double from 54 to more than 100 the number of investigators assigned to find people and places associated with those who test positive. Southern Nevada Health District community health chief Michael Johnson said Wednesday the death toll from the pandemic appeared to be “plateauing.” Johnson said hospital capacity is stable and the health district is working with the governor’s office and area businesses toward a “very gradual reopening” of the economy.
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Associated Press writer Ken Ritter contributed to this report.