Governor Sisolak held a virtual press conference on Wednesday discussing the state's COVID-19 vaccination process. 

The Governor was joined by Candice McDaniel, Health Bureau Chief, Bureau of Child, Family, and Community Wellness, Division of Public and Behavioral Health, and Shannon Bennett, Immunization Program Manager, Division of Public and Behavioral Health.

Governor Sisolak said 16 of Nevada's 17 counties were flagged for elevated COVID-19 transmission. 

"We are in a very dangerous place," Sisolak said, quoting recommendations from the White House. "We must flatten the curve now."

He said Nevada could possibly see the first doses of a vaccine as early as the middle of December, with those distributed to a 'tier one' group that will include healthcare workers and long-term care facility workers first. Bennett said there are 173,000 people in that tier one group, but we will not know the exact number of vaccines we receive until we're closer to the distribution date.

Officials said taking the second dose of the vaccine is critical for its success and local agencies will make sure to follow up with individuals to make sure that happens.

McDaniel said the general public could potentially see the first allocations of the vaccine in the spring or mid-2021.

They said it's unclear whether Nevada will be seeing the Pfizer vaccine, which will require ultra-cold storage, or the Moderna vaccine first. Officials said they will ensure all Nevada counties have access to it, but that distribution to frontline workers will be done in weekly increments so there's no shortage of staff.

The Pfizer vaccine has a 21-day minimum interval and the Moderna one has a 28-day minimum interval. The vaccines have a 95 percent efficacy rate, which is higher than the typical flu vaccine which has around a 40 percent efficacy rate, officials said in the press conference.

Gov. Sisolak reiterated the importance of staying home whenever possible, especially for those over 65 years of age and those with underlying health conditions.

"If you gathered during Thanksgiving, you are dangerous to others and must isolate yourself," Sisolak said. "You are at significant risk of infection... if you show symptoms... you must be tested immediately."  

On Monday, Sisolak, along with other lawmakers, condemned a tweet from President Trump calling the alternate care site inside Renown's parking garage 'fake.'

"The hospital is real, the comments by the president were not helpful," Sisolak said. "Patients are being treated in that hospital."

Gov. Sisolak went on to say that if we do not begin to see a change in our trajectory, we will be left in the unfortunate position of taking stronger actions or restrictions in the future.

Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Redfield, Director for the Centers for Disease Control has predicted that the coming months will be "the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation." Dr. Redfield made the comments during a livestream discussion with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation on the return to work in the age of COVID-19.    

"This is why it's so important at this time and I know we'll talk more about it is really to embrace the mitigation steps that we've tried to stress. The time for debating whether mass work or not is over... Right now it is so important that we recommit ourselves to this mitigation as we now begin to turn the corner with the vaccine. But the reality is December and January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation, largely because of the stress that it’s going to put on our health care system."