Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Pool
Gov. Steve Sisolak discusses Nevadas recent COVID-19 figures during a press conference at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, in Las Vegas.
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 | 5:45 p.m.
Existing COVID-19 restrictions will remain in place until Jan. 15 and an eviction moratorium is being reinstated because of a “significant and dangerous surge” in the coronavirus, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced today.
The first shipment of Pfizer vaccine, meanwhile, is expected to arrive in Nevada on Monday, Sisolak said.
The initial doses will go to health care workers, nursing home employees and residents, and first responders, state officials have said. The general public may be able to get the vaccine starting in the spring, officials said.
The news comes as Nevada today reported a 14-day rolling average of 2,105 daily cases and a test positivity rate over the last two weeks of 21.5%. A total of 2,539 deaths have been attributed to the virus statewide.
The moratorium on evictions will go into effect after midnight Tuesday and last until March 31. It will cover tenants who cannot pay rent but not evictions for lease violations, including unlawful activity or creating nuisances, Sisolak said.
“During this current surge we are experiencing, it’s critical that we do all we can to keep Nevadans in their homes and mitigate the risk of spread and infection,” the governor said.
Sisolak, who previously implemented a moratorium on evictions last spring that was lifted on Oct. 15, said he recognizes the moratorium will be hard on landlords.
“I know I’ve asked landlords to sacrifice during this pandemic, and I am asking you again to do so for a few more months as we push through what I hope is the last surge of this virus,” he said. “I will do everything I can to continue to push for economic assistance for our impacted landlords.”
Sisolak said he was not scaling back restrictions announced Nov. 22 that capped businesses including casinos, bars and restaurants at 25% capacity and limited gatherings to 50 attendees or 25% of fire code capacity.
If the state’s virus trends go “beyond our ability to respond,” tougher sanctions may be implemented, Sisolak warned.
But Nevada cannot afford another shutdown of all nonessential businesses, he said. A lockdown of the gaming industry would cost $52 million a month in gaming revenue, he said.
“If we could write a check to every Nevadan right now to provide them the ability to stay home and stop the spread, I would, but we can’t,” Sisolak said.
The governor criticized Congress for its inability to come to a compromise on stimulus funding for the states.
“I hope and pray that Congress listens to us and our federal delegation who are fighting for more funding for our state, but if we’ve learned anything over the last nine months, it’s that we have to figure out how to get through this on our own,” Sisolak said.
He said there is “every indication” Nevada is headed toward a surge due to the Thanksgiving holiday and urged people to continue wearing masks and taking other precautions to stay safe.
“Christmas is less than two weeks away, and the best gift you can give your family is their health,” Sisolak said.
