All Nevada counties subject to indoor mask mandate

CARSON CITY (AP) — All 17 counties in Nevada will be subject to an indoor mask mandate by the end of the week, health officials said Wednesday.

An emergency directive from Gov. Steve Sisolak requires counties adopt mask requirements for indoor public spaces and crowded outdoor spaces in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if they surpass thresholds for COVID-19 transmission.

Rural Eureka County is the state’s only jurisdiction currently not subject to a mask requirement, but reported high transmission for the second week in a row, triggering the mandate for Friday, Sept. 10.

The reintroduction of masks and the debut of vaccine requirements in venues like sporting events, conventions and some schools have been met with resistance throughout the state.

In the Las Vegas area, the president of the school board says she has received death threats since the district approved a requirement for employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees President Linda Cavazos said on Twitter that the threats had “very disturbing images” but that she and her colleagues were continuing to do their jobs.

“We have no time for hate,” she added.

The district board voted Sept. 1 to require a vaccination requirement that the district superintendent will draft and implement. The district hasn’t yet released details of the mandate.

As approved by the board, the plan will include a process for requesting accommodations for medical conditions or for sincerely held religious beliefs.

Amid talk of a protest against the mandate, the district said Tuesday that over 800 staff members were absent, about double from the day after Labor Day in 2019.

The district said the callouts accounted for less than 5% of the Clark County School District workforce, and noted that staff could have called out for a variety of reasons.