Douglas County leaders update on COVID-19 response and community support

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - In response to COVID-19, Douglas County officials continue to work closely with Carson City Health and Human Services and a regional Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that has been set up in Carson City to ensure compliance with the Governor’s directive while working in partnership to keep Douglas County residents safe.

The majority of the incident management responsibilities are vested with Carson City Health and Human Services, who provide public health services to what is known as the Quad County area, composed of Lyon, Storey, Carson City, and Douglas Counties. Members of Douglas County and East Fork Fire are assigned key leadership positions on the Incident Management Team. Douglas County leadership has and continues to meet to address the impacts of this incident within our community.

“The incident management team assembled for this event is doing an incredible job, managing a multitude of issues, many of which develop and change in hours,” said District Chief Tod Carlini, who also serves as Douglas County’s Emergency Manager.

Currently, there are only two confirmed cases in Douglas County. Carson City Health and Human Services has released the information on them to our community through our incident management team. As with any medical conditions, we cannot disclose details on the patient for their protection under HIPPA.

“We are doing all that we can to maintain as much normalcy as possible while taking the steps we must to protect our residents,” said County Manager Patrick Cates. “This will not last forever, but it's what we must do to protect each other, we encourage you all to stay home for Douglas County and for Nevada.”

Douglas County has taken a series of measures in recent weeks to protect residents and prevent further spread of the virus. This includes steps taken to limit access to public facilities, protect workers, reduce non-essential services and provide resources for economic relief to those residents and businesses that are most financially vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. Our Chambers of Commerce, Visitors Authority, and County Vitality Officer have actively been engaged in the process.

Douglas County first responders, including East Fork Fire Protection District, Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County 911, and other public safety personnel, continue to be on the job and working around the clock to ensure our communities and neighborhoods remain safe during the crisis. Our local medical facilities, including the VA Clinic, Tribal Health Clinic, Douglas County’s Public Health Clinic, Carson Tahoe Emergent Care, and Carson Valley Medical Centers are valuable partners in this process. Our long-term care and senior living facilities are participating in situational awareness with Emergency Management to coordinate efforts to protect our at-risk populations.

“This is an unprecedented and challenging time for all of us,” said Commissioner Penzel. “Though difficult, these bold measures are critical to stemming the spread of COVID-19 and securing the health of Douglas County residents and families. No one is immune from this virus and everyone has a role to play in this fight, as well as remembering to be especially mindful of our elderly residents, those with underlying medical conditions, and those who are on the front line fighting this fight.”

For the most current information on COVID-19 including the number of cases visit: https://gethealthycarsoncity.org/novel-coronavirus-2019/?fbclid=IwAR14h5mMu71YFFbzmj9JTRXh10JYry5oyP...

For a list of County Closures visit: https://www.douglascountynv.gov/government/departments/emergency_management/county_closures_due_to_c...

For a list of Community Resources related to COVID-19 in Douglas County visit: https://www.douglascountynv.gov/government/departments/emergency_management/community_resources_due_...