After consulting with state experts, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak says Nevada will need to see at least two weeks of consistent drops in the rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths before he’ll feel comfortable about easing any business closures or stay-at-home rules.
The governor made the statement in a news conference Tuesday. Sisolak said there was no specific date for when the state might take its first steps to reopen businesses.
He said while he’s following expert recommendations. The time frame ultimately depends on Nevadans continuing social distancing and other practices to keep slowing the spread of the virus.
The governor also addressed the staggering number of unemployment claims in the meantime.
“I totally understand the frustration. I can assure you in talking to governors across the country – and I’ve spoken to, I don’t know, a dozen, dozen and a half in the last two, three days – every state has experienced this exact same problem," he said, "No system was set up to handle this kind of a surge. That’s not an excuse; that’s simply the way it is. We will get to everybody as quickly as we can, but we will get to them. And again, I want to reassure everyone that it will be retroactive to the date you were eligible, so they will get all the money.”
The number of coronavirus cases passed 4,000 Wednesday. More than 170 people in the state have died.