Nevada Gov. Sisolak closes all schools
Bill Rozak / Tahoe Daily Tribune
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has closed all schools in the state.
Sisolak made the announcement Sunday afternoon during a press conference that all the state’s schools K-12 will be closed for at least three weeks, until April 6, in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Sisolak says the closure includes all public, private and charter schools.
In the Clark County School District, which is the fifth largest in the nation, students were expected to be on spring break from April 3-10.
In the second most populous district, Washoe County, students began their two-week break on Friday.
Clark County School District Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara said the closure is a proactive step to combat coronavirus in schools.
As of Saturday, health officials have announced 21 cases of coronavirus in Nevada with 16 cases in Clark County, four in Washoe County and one in Carson City.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas has been hit hard by convention cancellations, a decline in visitation and layoffs at Strip resorts and related industries.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that many shoppers continue to stock up on food and some household supplies at supermarkets and big-box retailers.
Clark County and Las Vegas business leaders tried Sunday to calm the public’s fears as some residents keep panic shopping in the city over concerns of the coronavirus.
At a news conference Sunday, the vice president of risk management for a local trucking company said companies are pushing out more products to meet the sharp increase in demand.
County Commission Chair Marilyn Kirkpatrick said people should buy up to two weeks of supplies, but not stock up for a month.
“We have many people within our community that are on a fixed income or they don’t have the ability to stock up,” Kirkpatrick said. “So we need to ensure that when they can go to the grocery store that there is product available for them.”
On Saturday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department urged citizens not to go to supermarkets and other such stores and hoard supplies like toilet paper.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond make the Tahoe Tribune's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.
