Announcements – Updates

Road Map to Recovery

Please click here to read the road map to recovery.

Number of COVID19 Cases in Clark County (by City)

Download the full map here. Updated as of May 18th, 2020.

USCIS Offices Resume In-Person Services Engagement

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services invites you to participate in a webinar on the reopening of USCIS domestic offices on Thursday, June 18, from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern.

On March 18, we temporarily suspended routine in-person services at our field offices, asylum offices, and application support centers (ASCs) to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). USCIS began reopening some domestic offices and resuming non-emergency services on June 4. We are following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to protect our workforce and the public.

During this webinar, USCIS will provide an overview of reopening procedures for field offices, asylum offices, and ASCs. We will also share guidelines for entering our facilities. We will respond to questions submitted in advance and via chat during the webinar. We will not answer case-specific questions.

To register for this engagement, please follow the steps below:

  • Visit our registration page to confirm your participation
    • Enter your email address and select “Submit”
    • Select “Subscriber Preferences”
    • Select the “Event Registration” tab
    • Provide your full name and organization
    • Complete the questions and select “Submit”

Once we process your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional details.

If you have any questions about the registration process, or if you have not received a confirmation email within three business days, please email us at [email protected].

We recommend joining 10 to 15 minutes before the webinar begins.

Take Part in Tele-Town Hall ‘Ask the Medical Experts’ on Thursday, June 18

The public is invited to take part in an “Ask the Medical Experts” Tele-Town Hall meeting about the coronavirus on Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m.  Community members may submit questions in advance via email at [email protected] or via Clark County’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter social media sites.

Members of the public may also watch or listen to the event live and pose questions in real time via the WebEx Meetings app. The public may view the event on the app at https://tinyurl.com/y8fw4hz2.

The tele-town hall will feature Dr. Luis Medina-Garcia, UMC Infectious Disease Physician. UMC Chief Experience Officer Danita Cohen will host the event.

“UMC’s world-class infectious disease experts look forward to sharing valuable information that will help community members protect their health and prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Cohen. “UMC remains committed to serving as a trusted leader in our community’s response to this unprecedented public health crisis.”

It also may be viewed on Clark County Television (CCTV), on the County’s Facebook and YouTube pages @ClarkCountyNV, and on the County website at www.ClarkCountyNV.gov. It also will be played numerous times afterward on Clark County Television, which is available in the Las Vegas area on Channel 4/1004 on Cox cable and on CenturyLink on Channels 4 and 1004 as well as in Laughlin on Channel 14 via Suddenlink. CCTV is also available in Boulder City on Channel 4 and in Moapa Valley on Digital Channel 50.3.

Gov. Sisolak signs directive allowing k-12 school facilities to re-open for summer learning and activities

Governor Steve Sisolak signed a directive allowing local school districts, charter schools, and private schools to immediately reopen for summer learning and activities while implementing the Phase 2 protocols designed to keep students, staff, families, and communities safe.

The directive and accompanying guidance come just in time for summer school but cover a wide range of topics. The guidance provides support for districts and schools to make local decisions regarding re-opening facilities, offering in-person instruction, and hosting meetings and events under the proper social distancing protocols. Districts and schools may offer summer learning opportunities through distance education, in-person instruction, or a combination of both. In the interest of the health and safety of local communities, districts and schools may continue to keep school facilities closed to students, staff, parents, guardians, and/or the public at their discretion.

Gov. Sisolak issues statement in support of legal observers providing guidance and advice at protests 

LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued the following statement in support of legal observers providing guidance and advice at protests:

“To all Nevadans lawfully protesting in the Valley this evening and this week: volunteer lawyers will be observing these protests. These legal observers will be wearing red T-shirts that say “LEGAL OBSERVER” — if you have any questions about how to lawfully express your rights or what conduct is lawful, please seek out one of these volunteers.”

“I’d like to thank John Piro for volunteering his time and expertise to help train and organize legal observers. And thank you to all the attorneys across the Valley for helping to provide this valuable service as part of our system of justice.”

Nevada COVID-19 Task Force Continues Acquisition of PPE

Since their initial announcement of the acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) for Nevada, the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief, and Recovery Task Force, formed by Governor Sisolak, has secured millions of additional items. New deliveries since the last update include:

  • 1 million surgical masks (Wynn)
  • 60,000 KN-95 masks (Caesars)

The Task Force also continues to receive hand sanitizer from Seven Troughs Distillery in Sparks, Nevada. The distillery has shifted its production during the pandemic to assist with one of the State’s needs. To date, Seven Troughs has provided 410 cases of sanitizer through donations from NV Energy.

The Task Force has now raised $12.1 million for the purchase of PPE and medical supplies, including a recent major donation from The E.L. Cord Foundation.

The PPE totals acquired to date by the Task Force are as follows:

  • 207,824 face shield, goggles or safety glasses
  • 1,386,400 gloves (individual)
  • 300,000 KN-95 masks
  • 1,600,000 million surgical masks
  • 19,400 surgical gowns

The Task Force continues its efforts to source PPE around the globe. The items acquired are delivered to the State and distributed by the National Guard to the areas of greatest need at any given time.

Second North Las Vegas Walmart to open drive-thru COVID-19

 A second COVID-19 drive-thru testing site will open Friday, May 8 in North Las Vegas.

The testing site will be in the parking lot of the Walmart store located at 3950 W Lake Mead Blvd. The site is supported by Walmart, Quest Diagnostics and state and local officials, and will test adults who meets CDC and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19 and those in high risk groups without symptoms. Please note, testing is not available inside Walmart stores.

Details regarding the testing sites:

  • The new testing site in the parking lot of the Walmart store located at 3950 W Lake Mead Blvd. will be open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., weather permitting.
  • The testing site that opened earlier this week in the parking lot of the Walmart store located at 1807 W. Craig Road will now be open Monday – Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., weather permitting.
  • Testing is for adults who meet CDC and state and local guidelines on who should be tested, including first responders, health care providers and others with symptoms of COVID-19 and those in high risk groups without symptoms.
  • Individuals must be 18 years and older.
  • The testing sites will require an appointment through Quest’s MyQuestTM online portal and app, http://www.MyQuestCOVIDTest.com, which will screen and schedule appointments for those individuals that meet medical eligibility for the testing sites.
  • Once on site, those being tested will need to wear a mask and stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test sites are not available to those who walk up.
  • The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical volunteer to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and drop the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-thru site.
  • Quest Diagnostics will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable departments of health.
  • Any questions regarding testing and appointments, please call Quest’s dedicated COVID-19 line at 866-448-7719, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET
  • The sites will be staffed by Walmart pharmacists and associates.
  • While individuals who are tested are awaiting results, please follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in your home and community.

Lone Palm Trail Temporary Closed May 1st-Sept 30th

Goldstrike Canyon, Arizona Hot Spring Trails Remain Closed Through Sept 30th

A temporary emergency closure will go into effect for an area that has become known as Lone Palm Trail, beginning May 2, due to a spike in emergency public safety incidents.

First responders have conducted nine search and rescues on this trail within the past 45 days, compared to one search and rescue during the same period last year. The incidents have lasted an average of four hours each, with one occurring from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m.

The area, located off U.S. Highway 93 in Arizona, will be closed until Sept. 30, 2020.

Goldstrike Canyon and Arizona Hot Spring trails were closed earlier than normal this season in response to COVID-19. They will remain closed from now through Sept. 30, as well. They usually close for the season May 15.

The River Mountains Loop Trail and Historic Railroad Trail remain open. Those who choose to hike should limit hikes to the morning when it’s cooler, bring lots of water and take breaks often.

Humboldt-Toiyable National Forest Asks Public Not to Travel to the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area Due to Overcrowding

With the extension of Nevada’s “Stay at Home” directive, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest asks the public to please honor this directive by not traveling to the Mt. Charleston area on the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) near Las Vegas. If some time outside is needed, the stay-at-home directive asks the public to keep close to home in areas where social distancing can be practiced.

There are currently no facilities available on the SMNRA. All campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms, and the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway are closed. Despite this, the SMNRA is experiencing visitation consistent with holiday weekends, resulting in overcrowding, lack of social distancing, illegal campfires, accumulating trash and human waste, and road congestion due to illegal parking that impedes emergency access.

The following restrictions are in place on the SMNRA:

Group Size

  • No more than nine people in an area in accordance with social distancing recommendations provide by the CDC.

Fire Restriction

  • No igniting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, including charcoal grills and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves and sheepherder’s stoves.
  • No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, trailer, or building.

Anyone that violates these restrictions could be subject to fines of up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail. In addition, anyone found responsible for starting a wildfire can be held civilly and criminally liable.

Gov. Sisolak signs directive to protect Nevadans from garnishment of COVID-19 related funds

Governor Steve Sisolak has signed an emergency directive to temporarily provide economic relief to Nevadans by freezing some garnishment actions and executions of judgments against bank accounts, including Nevadans receiving CARES Act fund. Directive 017 does not apply to judgments for child support, spousal support like alimony, or to restitution to victims of crimes.

LVMPD Reopens Services to the Public

On Tuesday, May 5, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will reopen the Records and Fingerprint Bureau, Evidence Vault, and all area command front offices to the public. The department will implement a new set of stringent health protocols to safeguard visitors and employees against any potential spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The LVMPD is still asking anyone who can access online services for records requests, telephonic reporting or Online Reporting to continue to do so. The new online CCW permit application will allow the citizen to electronically apply, remit payment, and schedule their appointment. Citizens can also go to their local area command to file a police report and access other services as well. Area commands and the Evidence Vault will reopen with normal business hours.

Retired Medical Professionals Asked to Register as Volunteers

to Help With Local Response to COVID-19

 

Clark County officials are calling on retired health care professionals who are willing and able to serve as volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corp of Southern Nevada to assist with the community’s response to coronavirus to register online through a state’s SERV-NV website at https://servnv.org/.

“I am proud of our community’s response to the challenges presented by coronavirus and appreciate our residents frequently asking what they can do to help,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick. “At the top of our list of needs is if we have any retired doctors, nurses or health care workers who can assist us as volunteers, we’d very much appreciate them contacting us. Our local health-care system is on the front lines of this crisis, and we want to be prepared to reinforce the ranks of these amazing professionals with others who have the expertise and qualifications to assist in providing care to those who need it.”

The appropriate resource for vetting volunteer health professionals and deploying them according to their skills and credentials is the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers-Nevada (SERV-NV) registry. The registry is affiliated with the Emergency System of Advance Registration for Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP), which is a national network of state-based systems that verifies the identity and credentials of health professionals so that they can more readily volunteer for disaster, public health, and medical emergencies.

Registrants may choose to join the local Medical Reserve Corps, Statewide Volunteer Pool or Mental Health Crisis Counselors. Health professionals with a range of skills and backgrounds can join the SERV-NV organization including medics, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, mental health professionals. By registering through SERV-NV, volunteers’ identities, licenses, credentials, accreditations, and hospital privileges are all verified. Qualified professionals then become part of an alert system that draws upon the pool of available professional volunteers in an emergency. A link to the online registration form is posted on SERV-NV’s website at https://servnv.org/agreement.php.

BLOOD Shortage:

There is a severe blood shortage due to the spread.  Please donate blood if you are able.  Make an appointment at: www.redcrossblood.org

  1. Do not “panic shop.” Buy enough of what you need for 2 weeks.
  2. Be careful not to clog drains. Due to the shortage of toilet paper, people are turning to personal and baby wipes for their personal needs. Wipes should be tossed in the trash after use NOT flushed down the toilet. Wipes clog sewer lines and pumps causing overflows. Visit www.paininthedrain.com for more information.
  3. Las Vegas Valley Water District/Southern Nevada Water Authority WARN residents of utility impersonators trying to falsely gain access to homes. The agencies have suspended ALL residential and commercial site visits during this time. Agency staff wear photo ID badges with logo in plain view. Employees will NOT knock on doors unannounced, request entry to any home or business or ask customers to sign documents

County’s Building & Fire Prevention Department- Offers Citizen Access Online Services

To help facilitate development activities during the closure of County facilities as a result of coronavirus, Clark County’s Building & Fire Prevention Department has shifted to an entirely electronic plan review process and is offering a video inspection program for certain types of projects.

All plan submittals to the Building & Fire Prevention Department  are being accepted online through Clark County’s Citizen Access Portal at https://citizenaccess.clarkcountynv.gov/CitizenAccess/Default.aspx.

The first step to using the service is to create an account on the system. With an account, users can upload plans for new projects to be reviewed by staff. Upon approval, a Permit Application Center number is assigned to the project and required permits are issued for the projects. Inspections also can be scheduled online through the system. Instructions for setting up a Citizen Access Portal account and submitting plans to the Building Department or its Fire Prevention Division are posted on the support page of the department’s website at http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/building/Pages/CitizenAccessSupport.aspx. Plan revisions and corrections also can be submitted and processed online through the citizen access system.

Any Building and Fire Department projects that were in process on paper prior to the March 18 closure of the Building and Fire Prevention Department’s Permit Application Center at 4701 Russell Road continues to be processed electronically by staff. Contractors should visit the Building & Fire Prevention Department’s website for information about the online process set up to submit corrections and revisions to plans: https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/building/Pages/default.aspx

The department also is offering a Video Inspection Program for certain types of inspections:

https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/building/inspection-services/Pages/VideoInspections.aspx. The program requires customers to use the Google Duo app on a minimum 4G smart phone to interact with an inspector. Relevant permits must be obtained and issued prior to scheduling a video inspections. The types of projects eligible for video inspections include water heater and water softener installations, gas line extensions for residential barbecues and fire pits, rooftop solar installations and residential block walls and fences.

Clark County’s Departments of Public Works offers some types of electronic services through the County’s Citizen Access Portal. Public Works-related development records can be searched online through the service, and reviews of traffic control plans are updated online daily. New plans and permit applications requiring approval through Clark County’s Department of Public Works are accepted in person by appointment, Monday through Friday, by calling (702) 455-4600.

Clark County’s Department of Comprehensive Planning is requesting that plans and justification letters for new projects be submitted by email at [email protected] These items also can be dropped off in person in a courtesy cart placed inside the door of its Current Planning division, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.  Plans are generally reviewed within two working days upon dropoff. The department can be contacted by phone at (702) 455-4314.

SNHD Updates:

  • Case Count: 4/21 overview, posted by SNHD today: 3218 positive cases, 150 deaths, 826 patients hospitalized. Of the hospitalizations, 263 patients in the ICU, and 150 intubated.
  • North Las Vegas testing on 4/25 and 4/26: SNHD will have a mobile clinic at Nevada Partners in North Las Vegas on April 25 and April 26 to offer testing for elderly African-American residents.

McCarran Airport Update:

  • The airport reported (4/21) that they had 257 take-offs and landings, representing a 82.4% decline in the seasonal daily average of 1463 flight operations per day.

CARES 3.5:

  • We expect the House to take up the “CARES 3.5” legislation tomorrow. As a reminder, since there were conflicting reports in the media yesterday, CARES 3.5 does NOT have any funding for local government, nor does it have any provision allowing use of the Coronavirus Relief Fund funding for lost revenue or for FEMA match. Instead, this funding has increased funding for hospitals and for testing – and the bulk of the funding is going to infuse the Paycheck Protection Program with more funding to help small businesses.