COVID-19 Press Bulletin for July 15, 2021

Carson City, NV -- Today, Candice McDaniel, Deputy Director of Programs for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, David Fogerson, Chief of the Nevada Division of Emergency Management and Heidi Parker of Immunize Nevada provided updates on Nevada’s ongoing COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts during a call with members of the media. 
This bulletin provides facts, figures, and informational items from the call. As a reminder, data is provided in a dashboard on the home page of the Nevada Health Response website. 
SUMMARY:  
VACCINATION: 
  • Nevada has risen ahead of the U.S. vaccine first dose trends with 2% of eligible Nevadans receiving their first dose last week, which is higher than the national average of 1.5%. 
  • Nearly 740 first doses per 100,000 people were administered last week, which is also well above the national average of 520.  
  • Since the Governor’s announcement of Vax Nevada Days, the State has seen an overall 32% increase in initiated vaccinations, with 12-17 year old's having the greatest vaccination rate increase at 42%. 
  • Lyon County had the highest week-over-week improvement to vaccination rates, increasing the percentage who have initiated vaccination by 2.7% and completed vaccination by 1.8%. 
  • And while the State and local partners in Clark County have been working hard to increase vaccinations, Clark is still experiencing concerning increases in cases, positivity and hospitalizations.  
  • Vaccinating more Nevadans won’t immediately stamp out the current cases and it will take time to see the impact of vaccination, but it is an investment in the future health of Nevadans. 
  • The State has experienced an increase above the national average in vaccine first dose trends, at the current rate it will take until December 2021 to vaccinate 70% of Nevadans.  
  • It is for that reason that the State is continuing our aggressive vaccination efforts --developing new ideas, opening new clinics, knocking on doors and reminding people of the importance of vaccination and the need to get both shots if receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.  
  • Some recent highlights include the following: 
  • We are utilizing the hotline call center to reach out to those who are past due for their second dose of vaccine with more than 20,000 calls made. 
  • The Nevada State Immunization Program and Immunize Nevada are working with mobile clinic partners to bring vaccines to rural, frontier and other hard to reach areas and communities. 
  • More than 300 providers are currently enrolled and able to order vaccine. The Nevada State Immunization Program is working with the Board of Pharmacy to support providers and remove any barriers. 
  • The Nevada Indian Commission hosted a telephone town hall for tribal communities with support from Immunize Nevada on Tuesday . 
  • More than 800 people were able to join this call with representatives from the Reno Sparks Indian Colony and Tribal Health Center. 
  • Partnerships with community organizations and businesses will continue to be key to vaccinating more Nevadans, which is why the State is working with leaders in the state’s largest industry, including Nevada Resort Association, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and properties like MGM Resorts to protect the health of residents and visitors.  
  • This Saturday, vaccination and testing will be available on the Las Vegas Strip at Park MGM (adjacent to Eataly) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  
  • The event will offer testing and all 3 vaccines  for those age 12 and older. 
  • MGM will be hosting giveaways throughout the event with some awesome prizes such as a Raiders package and hotel suite, Fury/Wilder fight tickets and hotel packages.   
  • The COVID vaccine is free for all, no insurance is required and it is available at many locations for those 12 years of age and older.  
  • The State will continue to work with local partners to expand COVID-19 testing opportunities. Currently, turnaround time continues to be about one day with outreach to all positive cases and their contacts within 24 hours. 
  • Testing locations can be found through the NV Health Response website. 
DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: 
  • The Governor requested resources from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the mission in Southern Nevada and the State is excited for them to join State efforts in that outreach along with DEM, DHHS and Immunize Nevada and local partners. 
  • Team members will be conducting outreach to targeted communities to ensure residents are aware of testing opportunities, clinics and vaccine events. 
  • FEMA will begin their Southern Nevada operation this weekend and will be working six days a week. 
VAX NEVADA DAYS: 
  • While nearly 2,000 Nevadans will be winning $5 million in cash and prizes during the 8 weeks of Vax Nevada Days, Nevadans need to be aware of scams that pop up with any big contest. 
  • Winners will never be asked to pay any fees to claim a prize, nor will they be asked to send money.  
  • When our representatives reach out they will not request banking or personal identification information.  
  • Program representatives will never ask for a bank account number or credit card number. The only exception is if a verified cash winner chooses, they may get prize money routed to them via digital transfer, which will require a bank routing number. But this is only after many steps have been taken so that the winner knows they are dealing with a legitimate member of our team.  
  • Additionally, Vax Nevada Days representatives will never text a link to prize winners. Nevadans should not click links included in a text message that claims they have won. 
  • A couple key phrases to listen for are the mention of “winning numbers” or a “lottery” – anyone saying you have won using these phrases is not affiliated with Vax Nevada Days. 
  • If anyone is uncertain whether a voicemail or email regarding Vax Nevada Days is legitimate, they should send an email to our team to verify at [email protected].  
  • Winners will be contacted using contact information connected to Nevada WebIZ records, which might include home or cell phone numbers and email addresses. 
  • Fairness and security are cornerstones of the Vax Nevada Days drawings, and Immunize Nevada and the State of Nevada are taking every step possible to ensure integrity throughout every step.  
  • The process is overseen by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which is comprised of the gaming industry’s most trusted, trained and educated gaming regulators in the world.  
  • Vax Nevada Days is utilizing the resources of IGT, a world-renowned gaming servicer, which is donating time, materials and resources to protect the integrity of this contest. 
  • Immunize Nevada and the State of Nevada take the privacy of all Nevadans very seriously, and we would never compromise our residents’ trust by sharing names without consent.  
  • Vax Nevada Days is a contest where all eligible Nevadans are entered to win, and winners’ names are part of the public record; therefore, we realize that some Nevadans may not want their information to be made public. 
  • Additionally, HIPAA laws protect patient rights, so we must secure permission to release the identities of winning COVID-19-vaccinated patients.  
  • And finally, some of our winners are between the ages of 12-17 and are winning tuition prizes, so we must first secure parental consent.  
  • For all of these reasons, we are unable to hold live drawings.  
  • Cash and tuition prize winners are drawn from among all eligible Nevadans in advance of our Thursday live reveals, and this process is done under the guidance and observation of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and IGT.  
  • Significant cash and prize winners are notified of their winning status but not told their prize amount. At that time, they must consent to their names being released within a defined period of time in order to receive their prize.  
  • At the Thursday live reveal, every Nevadan whose name is read aloud or who appears in person to receive a prize has consented to this release of their personal information.  
  • Every precaution is being taken to assure Nevadans of the fairness and validity of this process. 
  • Nevadans are encouraged to check out NVCOVIDFighter.org or call 1-800-401-0946 for the latest information on vaccination sites in communities statewide. Information on Vax Nevada Days can be found at VaxNevadaDays.org. ​
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