For the second straight year, we are celebrating Thanksgiving Day during the coronavirus pandemic. As people gather for celebrations, health officials are urging residents to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.
"It's so important for families and friends to take precautions to protect loved ones in those gatherings," Kevin Dick, Washoe County Health District Officer said. "Particularly, if you have parents or grandparents over 50. Especially, with underlying health conditions. It's critical to take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19."
Dick says he is celebrating Thanksgiving with a small, vaccinated group. He hopes others will do the same thing.
"I hope that people that are having gatherings are having those conversations with family and friends," Dick said. "I do hear a lot of people saying that their holiday gathering plans are that everyone is vaccinated that are attending those gatherings and that's encouraging to hear."
The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 is dropping in Washoe County. Last Thursday, there were 154 new cases. Over the last couple of days, that has dropped into the 60s and 70s.
"We're at 94 new cases for our seven-day average, right now. So that is the lowest that we've been since July 29," Dick said.
The numbers are also a far cry from where they were last year at this time. That is when cases were spiking as more people started staying indoors during the cooler months.
"That was right around when we were hitting our peak of the surge, reporting over 500 new cases per day," Dick said. "So the conditions are much-improved since then. I do attribute that to the number of people that are vaccinated, the mask requirement that we have that's helping to provide additional protection from transmission."
While vaccination of holiday gathering participants is recommended, masks are another weapon against the spread of the virus. Dick says it is also a good idea to take a rapid or over-the-counter COVID test before attending a Thanksgiving get-together.
"The recommendation would be to take those the day of, if you're going to a gathering," Dick said.
People who get tested a day or two before Thanksgiving could still catch the disease before the holiday, possibly exposing others to it. Dick says despite the improving numbers in Washoe County, there is still a risk of a reversal because of the holidays.
"I am concerned that with the gatherings here over the Thanksgiving holiday, with Christmas and New Year's coming up that there is the potential for further spread," Dick said.
People continue to get vaccinated, including nearly 10,000 who got the booster in the past week, countywide. About one-third of the doses are going to people who are getting vaccinated for the first time.
The Washoe County POD continues to test people with COVID-19 symptoms or those who were exposed to someone who tested positive. If you have to get a test for work or travel, you are urged to go to a pharmacy.
