COVID-19 is still circulating around the country, disrupting industries as people call out sick to work. The good news is that less people are dying from infection as more people get vaccinated, have overcome the illness and/or have antibodies in their system with minimal symptoms, and testing gets better.

Although covid is still circulating around Nevada, the number of new cases has greatly diminished in Mineral County since January of this year. According to the Nevada Health Response’s COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 1,392 cases of covid and there are about two new cases per day on its 14-day moving average within the rural area. More than 70 percent of Mineral County’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, and almost 62 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

MCSD’s Covid Mitigation for Going Back to School

According to Mineral County School District’s COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Plan last dated March 7, 2022, the District is continuing to urge staff to look for signs of illness and send symptomatic students to the school nurse. Anyone who has a confirmed covid case (as well as those within the same household) must isolate at home for 14 days and test negative before returning to school.

People ages 18 and older who have had their vaccines and booster shots yet have come in close contact with an infected person do not need to quarantine, as well as students ages 5-17 who have had their primary vaccine series. People who’ve tested positive for covid via a PCR or antigen test within the last 90 days also do not have to quarantine but must wear a mask around others for 10 days after their exposure if they are not vaccinated.

If a student or staff member has flu-like symptoms yet has not been in contact with anyone with covid, then they will be excluded from school for 24 hours until symptom-free (except in the case of a covid outbreak).

To read MCSD’s COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Plan in its entirety, visit https://nvmcsd.org/.

MC Vaccine/Testing Events

Churchill County is still working with Mineral County to offer covid vaccines and testing on several dates in August. Anyone ages six months and older is eligible to receive a covid vaccine (the Pfizer vaccine for those ages 6 months-4 years old), which Churchill County says helps reduce the risk of getting infected and possibly death. Its health district recommends that everyone get it to help achieve herd immunity, including those who are pregnant, receiving chemotherapy, those who are allergic to the flu shot, and people who’ve already had covid (its website says that it is unknown how long antibodies stay in the system after contracting covid).

Churchill County will be administering first or second dose vaccines, first booster shots to anyone age five years or older who received their earlier Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least three months ago, and second booster shots to immunocompromised persons and seniors ages 50-plus who’ve received their last Moderna or Pfizer shot at least four months prior.

No appointment is necessary for those who would like to get a vaccine or covid test on these dates at these locations:

• August 17: 10 a.m. to noon at the Mina Fire Department

• August 17: 2-4 p.m. in the lot next to the Hawthorne Fire Department

• August 31: 3:30-6:30 p.m. in the lot next to the Hawthorne Fire Department

PCR and Rapid covid tests are available by appointment only Mondays-Thursdays throughout August by calling Meghan at (775) 699-4119.