Nevada Health Response Provides Update On Mask Guidance

Nevada Health Response is providing an update on county risk levels as posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This week, Esmeralda County is listed as low risk of transmission. If the county sustains a low or moderate transmission risk for another week, the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals will be lifted.

Humboldt, Lander, and Eureka County are listed as substantial transmission risk and all other Nevada counties are listed as high transmission by the CDC and must continue to use masks in indoor settings.

To be able to lessen mask restrictions, counties need to remain at low or moderate transmission, as defined by the CDC, for 2 weeks in a row. Low transmission is defined as having less than 10 new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days and less than 5% of tests resulting in positive cases in the past 7 days. Moderate is between 10 and 49.99 new cases per 100,000 in the past 7 days and between 5 and 7.99% of tests resulting in positive cases in the past 7 days.

Review UPDATED NEVADA COVID-19 GUIDANCE: Delta Variant, Vaccinations and Masks for additional information on where and how this applies across Nevada.

The CDC recommended that everyone, including fully vaccinated individuals, wear a mask in public indoor settings in counties with substantial or high transmission. In line with Emergency Directive 045 (signed and effective May 3, 2021), the State of Nevada is automatically adopting the latest CDC guidance related to masks as a statewide requirement.

Note that some school districts and local governments have implemented mask requirements that may be more restrictive than those set forth in Directives 047 and 048.