Douglas County commissioners on Monday declared a local state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. The declaration has been submitted to the State of Nevada and will allow regional partners to speed up the delivery of resources required to more effectively aid in requesting additional resources, aid in recovery, and meet the needs of the community during a time of crisis.

“Our intent in issuing a state of emergency is to ensure uninterrupted access to the resources necessary to keep people as safe as possible,” said Patrick Cates, Douglas County Manager. “The declaration is not a reason for elevated concern at this time; It is our hope that aggressive action now will speed the resolution of this public health event.”

Douglas County leaders have been coordinating closely with Carson City Health and Human Services, Douglas County’s managing health authority, Quad County Leadership, East Fork Fire acting as Douglas County Emergency Management, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, all County Departments, Non-Profits, Visitors Authorities, and businesses to monitor the situation as it relates to Douglas County residents and visitors.

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Based on Gov. Sisolak’s directives on Sunday, the following will be implemented in Douglas County effective immediately:

•  Sick employees should stay home

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• Employees who are able to, should be allowed to work from home

•  Employees considered non-essential (as defined by your department) should be allowed to take administrative leave

• To the extent possible, face to face services will be minimized in favor of online, on phone or other means

• Essential Services will be continued by departments using whatever modifications necessary to minimize contact among individuals

• All Douglas County non-essential public gatherings currently scheduled will be cancelled until April 6, 2020.  This will be reevaluated after this time

• All Douglas County group events of 50 or more people will be cancelled

• All Douglas County group events will be limited to 50% of the occupancy limit for those spaces

• High touch areas, such as public counters, should be cleaned frequently

• Meetings should be conducted remotely wherever possible 

• Social distancing should be actively practiced per CDC guidelines

At this time, there are currently no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Douglas County.

The county is currently developing a webpage for resources available to those who may be impacted by COVID-19 in Douglas County.

For the most current updates and more information on COVID-19 visit: https://gethealthycarsoncity.org/novel-coronavirus-2019/

The county is encouraging residents who are symptomatic to call Carson City Health and Human Services Hotline phone number at 775-283-4789. Only call 911 if there is a true emergency.