8 residents, 14 staff positive for virus at Northern Nevada State Veterans Home

SPARKS — The Northern Nevada State Veterans Home was notified Tuesday that two additional residents and nine staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a news release.

All these residents and staff are either asymptomatic or are stable with mild symptoms.

With these new results, the NNSVH has had a total of eight residents and 14 staff members test positive for COVID-19. All COVID-19 positive residents are in isolation and the staff members are self-quarantined at home, the release said.

All veteran residents who tested positive for COVID-19, while not in critical condition, have been moved to the Reno VA Hospital where they are receiving 24/7 medical care in a specially designed COVID ICU level of care unit.

“While there is no doubt that the NNSVH — the newest skilled nursing facility in Northern Nevada — offers the very best nursing home care possible, we are grateful to the VA for providing care above what a nursing home can offer,” said NNSVH administrator Mike Ball.

All those who tested positive must have two consecutive negative test results before they may transition back from the isolation unit or return to work. The NNSVH is working with the Nevada Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology to support contact tracing necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“We remain committed to providing the best care available for NNSVH residents and continue to adhere to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Department guidelines,” said Nevada Department of Veterans Services Director Kat Miller. “We are in daily contact with Federal and state medical authorities to ensure that our residents are receiving the best care possible. Importantly, we will continue to test all residents and all staff every week to catch any possible infection early.”

Access to the home remains limited to team members and essential vendors only. Additionally, anyone entering the building is required to undergo screening.

Updates on the NNSVH are available by calling (775) 418-5026. The phone line is updated regularly.

For more information and resources on Nevada’s response to COVID-19, visit https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.