LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A newly-published study from the Harvard Global Health Institute is recommending Nevada and several other states in the country shut down amid the pandemic.
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Gov. Steve Sisolak has not announced any additional closures but has said previously that the numbers will help him decide if they’re needed.
While COVID-19 hospitalizations are starting to go down statewide, on Saturday the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services said there were 29 deaths, almost 900 cases, and a positivity rate of 11.2 percent reported in the last 24 hours.
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On Friday, several Nevada counties were flagged as high-risk transmission areas. Clark County was one of them since it has been the most impacted by COVID-19 in the state.
Thousands of residents not only have lost their jobs but also have had their lives changed completely.
Many businesses have closed their doors during the pandemic, and others are still trying to figure out how to continue with their services.
RELATED: Clark County among Nevada counties flagged for elevated COVID-19 transmission risk
It's comprehensible why thousands are afraid of another shutdown.
UNLV Assistant Professor Brian Labus says that before the decision to close businesses again is made, a lot of different factors need to be taken into account.
“There is no simple answer," said Labus. "People wind up suffering in different ways and that burden is not shared equally by everyone."
"People at the lower end of the economic spectrum tend to suffer more," he explained, "because they are not able to take time off from work because they are working at a job where they deal with the public and can’t work from home.”
That’s a situation that many hospitality workers are familiar with.
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“It is more than just losing a job," said Bryan Rivera, a hospitality worker in Las Vegas. "For some people, it's their lives and what they're passionate about, what they do."
"For some of us it's a luxury to have a job," said Rivera, "but for some people, it was their career, what they elect to do."
Rivera is currently working, and while he remains positive, he knows that another shutdown could leave him without a job - this time for good.
“I think everyone is afraid of that shutdown," he said. But he also acknowledges the importance of not showing up to work when you are sick.
"I think that if we keep doing our part," said Rivera of individuals staying away from the group when they are sick, "it's not a guarantee, but it helps in the aspect of getting back on track."
