In a move that probably made many folks sad to hear, but that was not terribly surprising, yesterday Governor Sisolak announced he is extending the stay-at-home order until May 15th. Some restrictions on business will be eased however:
- Golf courses, pickle ball and tennis courts will be allowed to reopen
- Places of worship can have drive up religious services, as long as folks stay in their vehicles
- Most importantly, retailers who have been currently closed under the prior restrictions can now reopen on a front door-curbside basis, similar to what restaurants have been doing
More details are still forthcoming from the City on how this will all happen and what additional policies and procedures will accompany this reopening. Gatherings larger than 10 people are still not allowed, and both the Governor and our own City Mayor repeatedly ask that we all continue to wear masks where appropriate, and continue all of the practices that have hopefully gotten Nevada into a ‘Phase 0’, known as the first step in the goal of safely reopening.
On Monday, it was announced that the State of Nevada was joining in what is known as the ‘Western States Pact’ including Washington, Oregon, California and Colorado who will share resources and timelines for when and how our state will gradually move toward reopening.
Our hearts ache for the businesses and practitioners who have been unable to practice their craft, and we know from personal experience that much of the promised aid for businesses and entrepreneurs has not come through due the system literally buckling from the weight of the demand. These are dark days for our small businesses indeed.
Later today we are told the Governor will hold a press conference where he will lay out in some detail what he is calling the “Roadmap to Recovery”. I guess our hard days are not yet behind us. Shop local, dine local, buy gift certificates from your favorite massage therapist/day spa/aesthetician/hair salon/dog groomer/other and dream of better days ahead.
