Hello Fernley, this is your Mayor, Roy Edgington, I wanted to take a few minutes today to provide you with an update regarding vaccinations for our senior population here in Fernley, and to talk about where we are in this pandemic today.
The COVID vaccination is now available for seniors 70 and older who reside in the Quad Counties. Proof of residency and age is required, be prepared to provide a driver’s license or paperwork documenting your current address and date of birth. Seniors can receive the vaccine at any Quad-County COVID-19 vaccine event.
Having said that, we understand there is a lot of frustration out there right now. Since this announcement was made by the Governor on January 12th, the Carson City Health District has been overwhelmed with an influx of calls to their hotline. In addition, their website has been overwhelmed due to the number of people trying to schedule appointments for vaccinations.
The City of Fernley is working with Lyon County and Carson City Health District to help people get registered for vaccinations. Please be patient as we work through this. The community will receive information as we move forward. We understand folks are frustrated, and we want to assure you, we are doing what we can to help voice our residents’ concerns.
For questions or to make an appointment, you can call the Quad County COVID-19 Hotline at 775-434-1988. There is also a website to schedule appointments, it is case sensitive, please be sure to copy and paste the link https://bit.ly/2XF64Cp. Please be advised, there is a significant delay for both the hotline and the website.
During the Governor’s press conference on January 12th, he announced a 30-day extension to the current mitigation measures in place. To review this list, you can find them at NVHealthResponse.nv.gov.
Nevada’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Playbook for Statewide Operations was submitted to the CDC on Oct. 16, and since that time the playbook has been updated twice as more information is received from the CDC and the FDA related to COVID-19 vaccine.
We must remember that this pandemic is a public health issue. It is having a significant impact on our regional hospitals and health care providers. Lyon County residents occupy hospital beds in Reno, Carson, Fallon, Yerington and Minden. When those beds are unavailable then our EMS personnel have longer waits at hospitals, surgeries get delayed, people wait longer in ER waiting rooms, health care providers get sick and reduce staffing.
These impacts are also taxing our local EMS and first responders. They have seen an increase in calls upwards of 25%. This can have a ripple effect on all of us. I would like to again, ask everyone listening right now, please help our first responders, our healthcare providers, by following the simple suggestions:
— If you are sick stay home
— Social distance and avoid close contact
— Wear a mask/face covering
— Wash your hands often
— Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
— Avoid large gatherings
This pandemic will not last forever. The more we help by following basic health principles the sooner we can normalize. I want to thank you all for doing what you can to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy. Thank you for your time.