Nevadans 75 and up elevated in COVID-19 vaccine queue, Sisolak says

CARSON CITY — Nevada is revising its tiered rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to move residents 75 and older up in priority in accordance with federal guidance, Gov. Steve Sisolak affirmed Wednesday.

Briefing reporters ahead of the New Year’s Eve holiday, the governor said the state has “seen smooth deliveries” and a “successful rollout of the complex process” to distribute the vaccine, with more than 25,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered to front line health-care workers and long-term care patients and staff.

“As we have said from the start, this is a dynamic and fluid situation and we learn more and more from the federal government each day about this vaccine rollout,” Sisolak said. “We’re being as transparent as possible with Nevadans during this time.”

Sisolak said that as of Tuesday, 25,636 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Roughly 80 percent is the Pfizer vaccine and the rest from Moderna, said Immunization Program Manager Shannon Bennett, who joined the governor on the briefing.

She said the state’s revised rollout program, following the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moves people 75 years and older into Tier 2, the next group that will receive the vaccine in Nevada. The state is still working through Tier 1 and it is not yet clear when inoculations will begin for Tier 2.

People 65 to 74 years and those with underlying health conditions will remain in Tier 3, alongside many of what are called essential workers in Nevada’s tiered rollout. Additional specific guidance will be provided in the pending next revision of the state’s plan, the governor’s office said.

Bennett said some regions of the state “may move into the next tier sooner than others” based on population size and vaccine demand. The state’s vaccination playbook, she added, “is a guide that we know will be adjusted as more information is learned (as) the vaccination rollout progresses across the United States.”

The governor said: “I know Nevadans will continue to have questions related to vaccine distributions and our goal is to provide updates as frequently as possible.”

Sisolak said the number of doses administered so far is likely understated because of a lag in reporting.

“The problem is we don’t want to get tied up in the reporting part of it where we’re spending more time providing reports and having people input information as opposed to administering the actual vaccine,” he said.

The governor again urged residents and visitors to adhere to face mask and social distancing guidelines and avoid large gatherings, including New Year’s celebrations. He said state authorities “will be out in force on New Year’s Eve to ensure measures are being followed.”

Speaking of the new higher level of priority for older residents, Sisolak said, “In an ideal world, we’d like to bump everybody up higher.” But he and Bennett both said the state would continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines for distributing the vaccine.

Asked about expected crowds on New Year’s Eve at the Fremont Street Experience, where thousands of people might gather Thursday night, Sisolak called the plan “just plain irresponsible.”

“At this stage in the game we know what is considered a high risk activity, and large gatherings are included in high risk activities,” Sisolak said. “I understand that on New Year’s Eve, particularly in Las Vegas, it will be difficult to prevent the organic gatherings of people. And that’s why it’s critical that businesses and leaders are vocal about the risks. But to organize and promote a gathering with a ticket, or a fee, as if it’s a business, business as usual, that’s just plain irresponsible.”

Contact Bill Dentzer at bdentzer@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-0661. Follow @Dentzernews on Twitter.