By Scott Sonner Associated Press
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
RENO — Northern Nevada's top health officer said Wednesday the return to mandatory indoor masks across most of the state is an unwelcome but necessary move due to a spike in COVID-19 cases he blames on the 43% of eligible Nevadans who refuse to get vaccinated.
Coronavirus numbers continued to climb in Nevada on Wednesday to their highest level since February.
Washoe County Health Officer Kevin Dick said he's especially frustrated by those who argue the decision on whether to get vaccinated is a personal choice that should be left to an individual "because it only affects them."
"That is false. Whether somebody is vaccinated or unvaccinated affects our community. It affects everybody's risk of being infected," Dick told reporters in Reno.
"It seems sad to me that when you look globally, we see so many people that are dying because they don't have access to the COVID-19 vaccine," he said. "Here ... we are seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 and people dying because the vaccine is available but they are refusing to get it."
On Tuesday, Gov. Steve Sisolak issued an order, effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, requiring masks indoors regardless of vaccination status in 12 of 17 counties, including Nevada's largest cities.
