RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Local health officials warn that the mass-shopping spree that is Black Friday could be a breeding ground for the Coronavirus. The Washoe County Health District recommends participating in different ways to help keep you and others healthy.
“Whether to wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, avoid gatherings, those are important decisions that we all have to make every day,” Scott Oxarart, Communications Manager with the Washoe County Health District said.
Governor Steve Sisolak recently tightened restrictions, while also asking Nevadans to stay home in an effort to bring the increasing cases down statewide. Both of these requests directly impact Thanksgiving and Black Friday plans.
Oxarart added, “The decisions you make every day can not only impact you but also people that you don’t know. and their decisions can impact you as well.”
Officials say the massive shopping event could have a detrimental effect in containing the virus if people choose to shop in stores.
“If you want to go out and shop and go to multiple stores and be around a bunch of different people, I think you have to understand that the risk of spreading the virus is much more significant when you do things like that,” Oxarart said.
To avoid large crowds and long lines, it’s recommended you shop online or do curbside pickup to keep safe this time of year.
Oxarart added, “Shopping local is important. we know that the local economy needs people to spend money at their stores.”
For now, COVID-19 is here to stay. But having your loved ones around this holiday season and beyond is more important than buying “things.”
The Health District has more specific statistics regarding COVID-19 in Washoe County. For more information from the CDC on holiday celebrations guidelines, click here.
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