The surge of COVID-19 is hitting every corner of the community. Washoe County has 11,282 active cases of the disease and it has topped 1,000 new daily cases three times in eight days. New daily cases reached 1,010 on January 6, setting a single-day record. Four days later, they reached 1,035 cases in one day. Thursday's numbers topped that record with 1,121 positive tests.

"It's kind of scary, to be honest," Edwin Munoz, Sun Valley resident said. "With all the elderly people, young kids, myself a little overweight, people need to start staying home more."

Munoz is one of hundreds who waited in line at North Valleys Regional Park to take a COVID-19 test, Friday. He is asymptomatic but may have been exposed.

"My daughter, she got sent home from school, yesterday, and we're just trying to get checked out," Munoz said.

The previous peak had a record of 738 new daily cases on November 20, 2020 before there was a vaccine available.

On average, 820.4 Washoe County residents are testing positive, each day, over the last week. One in five people who get tested are positive for the virus in Washoe County. Statewide, that number is nearly one in three. Cases and positivity rate are both still on the rise.

"As I was reading or seeing somewhere that it's just going to be basically that everyone's going to be hit by it because of so many people, so I'm just trying to see what's going on and keep myself isolated if I do end up being positive," Robert Grover, Stead resident said.

Gayle Erickson is the Program Coordinator for COVID-19 at the Washoe County Health District. She says our community can expect the numbers to rise as Omicron spreads.

"Looking at the trends that we've seen across the country and South Africa and the UK, I would expect that that is what we will see," Erickson said.

The daily cases are declining in those countries, so Erickson expects the same to eventually happen in Washoe County.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Omicron accounts for approximately 98 percent of COVID-19 infections in the United States. Data shows that the variant is more contagious than previous variants of the virus. As it spreads, more people are getting tested. An average of 2,248 Washoe County residents have been tested each day over the last two weeks.

"It says that we're pretty darn prevalent, right now," Erickson said. "We just encourage everybody to continue to do what they can, to wear their masks, to avoid large gatherings and to try to stay away from people who are not feeling well."

Omicron may be not have the same severity as Delta. Hospitalizations are on the rise but deaths are not.

"This particular variant is very hard on our most vulnerable population and that's what we're most-concerned about is making sure that those folks are the best-taken care of," Erickson said.

Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that the state is buying 588,216 Flexflow COVID-19 Antigen home tests. They will be distributed to the public at no cost. Erickson says more testing could help slow the spread of Omicron.

"I believe it will be very beneficial for the community," Erickson said. "We're eagerly looking forward to being part of the distribution of that at some level."

Staffing is becoming more of an issue for many businesses around town. Many people are missing work because of illness or possible exposure to COVID-19.

"If anybody's not well, they should not be out with other people whether they're sick with COVID or sick with something else," Erickson said. "It's typically a contagion."

The Washoe County Health District tests up to 250 people for COVID-19 every day, depending on staffing. Four community sites test a combined 1,600 each day. The sites at Barley Ranch Regional Park and Eagle Canyon Park are closed until at least Tuesday because some of its staff contracted COVID-19. All four sites will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.