COVID-19 Information Center

Ensuring the Health of the Public Higher Education Community

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) and the Board of Regents continue to work collaboratively with local, county, state, and federal authorities to ensure that all NSHE students, faculty, employees, and visitors of any of NSHE’s eight institutions receive the best available information and practices regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) to ensure the health of the entire public higher education community.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the State of Nevada have set up informational websites that can help answer frequently asked questions, such as what are the symptoms, prevention, and treatment.

NSHE Chancellor Rose is in daily communications with the Presidents of NSHE’s institutions and NSHE’s Internal Advisory COVID-19 Response Team is coordinating and collaborating on systemwide communications and strategies in NSHE’s continuing effort to prevent the spread of the virus and create a transparent and safe educational experience for Nevada’s public higher education community.

NSHE understands and shares the concerns of its students, faculty, staff and institutions’ communities regarding the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The health and wellbeing of Nevada’s public higher education community continues to be our utmost priority in the midst of this dynamic and evolving situation.

This page will be updated with the most recent information on NSHE communications related to COVID-19.

NSHE COVID-19 Protocol Update – July 21, 2021

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) continues to follow all federal, state, and local directives to keep our community healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Face Coverings

Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Melody Rose has issued an update regarding COVID-19 and face covering requirements for NSHE employees in Clark County. You can find her memo here: Chancellor’s Memo, July 21, 2021

A new face covering mandate will be effective for all NSHE employees working in Clark County inside a building located on NSHE campus or other property starting Thursday, July 22, 2021. More specifically, this policy at this time will only apply to our institutions and buildings located within Clark County. These include the following institutions: University of Nevada, Las Vegas; College of Southern Nevada; Nevada State College; Desert Research Institute; and System
Administration and System Computing Services. NSHE employees working in locations outside of Clark County are not affected by this face covering mandate and shall continue with our current face covering policy that permits NSHE employees who have fully received the COVID-19 vaccine to choose to remove their face covering.

Vaccine

NSHE continues to strongly encourage students and employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more about where to get a vaccine here: www.immunizenevada.org.

Compassion

As we transition into a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, compassion and patience are recommended towards all students and colleagues.  Employees may choose to continue wearing a face covering, even those who have been vaccinated.  They should be permitted to do so without judgment or criticism.

Honesty

All students and employees are obligated to follow codes of conduct and workplace policies that demand honesty. Adherence to this updated face covering policy will be incumbent upon the personal integrity and civic responsibility of the individual.

Knowing and willful violations of this policy by a student or employee may result in disciplinary action.

Social Distancing

Local counties retain authority over COVID-19 social distancing, building, and event capacity requirements. NSHE institutions must continue to follow their local county directives.

Remain Vigilant

We all still must remain vigilant and follow appropriate health protocols, including monitoring personal health and continuing healthy hygiene practices, as the fight against COVID is not over.  COVID-19 policies remain subject to amendment whereby mitigation efforts or restrictions may be strengthened or relaxed.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, NSHE has strictly adhered to all federal, state, and local directives to keep our community healthy and safe.  NSHE will continue to follow this practice.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

Please click here for more information regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution for the NSHE community.

For more information contact the state Department of Health and Human Services’ Nevada COVID Vaccine Call Center at 800-401-0946. The Hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Also, you can find the latest information on vaccinations through NVCOVIDFighter.org and NVHealthResponse.nv.gov .

Financial Hardship Help

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has information for anyone facing financial hardship that is causing housing insecurity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For help and guidance to temporarily halt an evection to prevent the spread of COVID-19 click here. The Declaration Form to prevent an eviction can be found by clicking here. Visit the CDC’s website to learn more. The CDC’s eviction moratorium will expire on December 31, 2020.

Governor Sisolak has issued Directive No. 36, which sets forth a Nevada moratorium on residential evictions due to COVID-19 and the inability to pay rent until March 31, 2021. Visit Nevada Health Response: Governor’s Directives and Declarations website to learn more about Directive No. 36.

Related Posts and Pages

• NSHE Chancellor Issues Guidance for Resuming CTE Lab Courses – May 14, 2020
• NSHE Chancellor’s Statement on Reopening in the Summer and Fall Semesters – May 4, 2020
• NSHE Issues Guiding Document on Cyber Security – April 28, 2020
• NSHE Chancellor Issues Memorandum on COVID-19 – March 25, 2020
• NSHE Chancellor Issues Memorandum on COVID-19 – March 19, 2020
• NSHE Chancellor Issues Updated Guiding Document on COVID-19- March 17, 2020

The number of new cases reported for the prior week where the individual has been physically on campus in the past 14 days for the reporting week of 9/28/2020-10/9/2020.

The number of new cases reported for the prior week where the individual has been physically on campus in the past 14 days for the reporting week of 9/28/2020-10/9/2020.

Stay Informed and Be Prepared

For the NSHE community, we continue to emphasize:

“STAY INFORMED and BE PREPARED”

NSHE institutions have created or are in the process of creating web pages with regularly updated information. These web pages contain the latest information from a variety of sources, as well as tips for faculty, students and staff regarding issues that could arise from coronavirus.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Reno
College of Southern Nevada

Desert Research Institute
Great Basin College
Nevada State College
Truckee Meadows Community College
Western Nevada College

Health, Wellness and Prevention

The best line of defense against novel coronavirus is to use the “best practices” associated with the CDC’s prevention guidelines. There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Everyday preventive actions include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

If You Are Sick

NSHE is encouraging the Nevada public higher education community to be mindful of their own health and contact a health-care provider if they are experiencing any of the known symptoms. Students at NSHE institutions should contact the campus Student Health Center.  NSHE institution leadership and faculty are working together to ensure that if students miss class due to illness, opportunities will be provided to make up missed work.

Perspective

We are reminding the state-wide NSHE community to please keep perspective about what is happening, demonstrate empathy to others, and show respect. We must avoid stereotyping or stigmatizing any individuals, ethnicities, or nationalities on our campus communities.  There continue to be a number of unknowns, but NSHE is urging everyone to stay calm, stay informed, and be prepared.

More Information

Please contact each NSHE institution for more information specific to that campus.

If you require information from NSHE System Administration, please contact Francis McCabe, NSHE Communication’s Officer at fmccabe@nshe.nevada.edu or 702-889-8426.