COVID Mitigation Plan

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The governor has lifted social distancing restrictions statewide and has empowered county governments to craft their own COVID mitigation measures that fit their residents’ needs. But as we move toward post-pandemic life, we must remember that we are not there yet.  

The governor has not lifted his statewide mask mandate, and the County Commission has no authority to remove it locally. As of May 1, the State of Nevada lifted social distancing requirements and handed various aspects of COVID mitigation measures back to county jurisdiction. On June 1, capacity limits will be removed statewide.  

Washoe County’s mitigation plan will get us through the month of May with some fairly straightforward guidance: 

  • Groups, indoors and out, must be spaced at least six feet apart.  
  • Group size is 10, an increase from six. 
  • All sports are permitted. 
  • Self-service buffets will remain closed. 
  • Events with more than 500 attendees will require a plan, approved by Washoe County. 

Washoe County will use several tools to gauge the spread or stop of COVID in our community. One of these is the Truckee Meadows COVID Risk Meter. If the risk meter reaches red, the community will revert to tighter restrictions. If the new case count reaches 625 per 100,000 over a 30-day period, then we will implement tighter restrictions. For comparison, the current case count in Washoe County is 291 per 100,000.  

This plan was developed by a team including Washoe County, City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County Health District, and Washoe County School District. The team also brought in industry and health experts to guide the way. These experts included representatives from the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, the Nevada Hospital Association, recreation organizations, the hotel and casino industry, the restaurant industry, special events, and more.  

 This team worked with five guiding principles in mind:  

  1. The health of Washoe County citizens and visitors is as important as the health of the local economy.  
  1. The business community will make the best business decisions with high-impact guidelines. 
  1. People can make personal decisions about their own health risks within allowable guidelines. 
  1. Oversight is necessary to ensure compliance. 
  1. Keep it simple. 

Armed with these principles and goals, Washoe County developed the framework to move us to a more open economy and society while keeping COVID-19 at bay. Information on the Washoe County mitigation plan and updates on the pandemic can always be found at COVID19Washoe.com. Sign up for email alerts, and follow updates on social media.