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Nevada Gov. Sisolak speaks during a press conference on covid-19 Wednesday, April 8, 2020.
Published Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | 6:30 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | 10:10 p.m.
Congregants looking to attend Easter or Passover services this week in Nevada will not be able to gather as part of more-enhanced social distancing protocols announced Wednesday by Gov. Steve Sisolak.
Besides ordering churches to observe the directive to not gather in groups of 10 or more, Sisolak announced the closure of golf courses and store showrooms, barred in-home haircut services and issued new guidelines for grocery stores.
The move came only two days after Sisolak hinted he may have to “tighten the faucet” if Nevadans did not start to observe social distancing protocols. The governor said that deciding to bar large worship services was one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make, and that he spoke to around 20 faith leaders before announcing his decision. All, he said, were supportive.
“This wasn’t easy. In these trying times, I have clung to my faith to guide me, as I know many of you have as well,” Sisolak said. “It’s not lost on me that we are entering the holy periods of many major religions. I know families want to gather to observe these high holidays … but I know if we allow these services to continue as usual, we will see a spike in cases in Nevada.”
Those who defy the social gathering order can face criminal or civil penalties, he said.
Sisolak also announced that supermarkets will not be able to offer self-serve food, such as candy that needs to be scooped into bags. Further guidelines for grocery stores on cleaning and social distancing will be announced soon, he said.
Sisolak previously allowed golf courses to remain open if proper social distancing was followed and called the activity good exercise.
He changed his mind because some players were not using the courses safely.
“What’s changed since then is I’ve had a multitude of pictures sent in to me that show people were not practicing good social distancing,” Sisolak said. “They were not riding one in a cart, they were congregating on the greens and I cannot take the chance of having it spread that way. We tried it. It didn’t work because some folks, again, chose not to follow the rules.”
When asked if he would consider further measures, such as shutting down parks or trails, Sisolak said no options are off the table.
“I’ll consider anything if people aren’t following the rules,” Sisolak said. “The vast percentage are following the rules ... and I applaud them for that and I thank them for that, they’re saving a lot of lives.”
Sisolak recently announced that state agencies must make recommendations for budget cuts by April 13, a move designed to mitigate the impact the pandemic is having on state funds. Revenues, he said, have plummeted.
“They’re not decreasing, they went off a cliff,” Sisolak said. “They absolutely went off the cliff.”
The governor did not give details on what cuts may be coming and said the state’s recovery will depend on any federal stimulus plans and how quickly the economy bounces back.
“They’re not going to be across-the-board cuts, but I don’t know that anyone will be saved from any type of cut,” he said. “We’re going to have to really tighten our belt in order to get there.”
Sisolak has been adamant about the need for Nevadans to stay home during the pandemic and has, in the past, gotten emotional over the effect of the virus on the state. Moments before he walked into the Wednesday news conference, Sisolak said, he was informed of another death, bringing the state’s total to 81.
“This isn’t a game,” he said. “This is serious. People are dying.”
