Sisolak: Nevada sees alarming increase in COVID infections; no new restrictions

Gov. Steve Sisolak said Tuesday that Nevada is seeing an alarming increase in infections and hospitalizations because of a fall surge in the virus.

But he said he isn’t announcing a new directive or more restrictions.

“I want to continue on the path we’re on,” he said at a press conference in Las Vegas.

Keeping it that way and beating the virus, he told all Nevadans, “depends on you.”

“We are in the red zone for cases, the orange zone for positivity,” he said.

For the most recent seven-day period, he said Nevada averaged 666 new cases a day and the current positivity rate is 9.1 percent.

Sisolak said he knows everyone is suffering from fatigue because of how long the pandemic has continued but that now is not the time to let our guard down.

“Risky behavior and complacency, we cannot let that happen,” he said. “We can’t get tired because the virus isn’t tired.”

He said the behavior of “certain officials at the highest level of our government run contrary to the experts,” he said — a reference to President Trump.

He said that creates division when everyone needs to be united.

“The enemy is the disease. It’s not each other,” Sisolak said. “We have the power to change the trajectory. We all need to do our part to make this happen.”

He said that means wearing masks, social distancing, sanitizing and avoiding large gatherings especially in closed spaces.

“We can fight this pandemic if we all work together, united,” he said.

Sisolak also said that by his next press conference next week, he will have more information on the plan to deliver a vaccine to Nevadans when one is available. But he cautioned that it won’t be available to everybody immediately, that health care workers and the most vulnerable people will get it first.

Asked at what point would he reinstitute restrictions, Sisolak said, “We’re not at that point now. I don’t want to get to that point.”