On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19 or the “coronavirus”) a pandemic, acknowledging that the virus posed a worldwide threat. The coronavirus has caused institutions and governments alike to make sweeping changes to combat the further spread of the virus. 

Evolving developments and the widespread transmission of COVID-19 has prompted immediate action from the State of Nevada. Accordingly, in response to the global pandemic, on March 12, 2020, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak declared a state of emergency throughout the State of Nevada, directing all state agencies to prioritize efforts to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The Emergency Declaration ordered the creation of the Nevada Health Response team, an organization charged with consolidating information and resources for concerned Nevadans. 

Since then, Governor Sisolak has issued a series of Emergency Directives to combat the spread of COVID-19, including mandating social distancing practices, closing nonessential businesses, and issuing a temporary moratorium against evictions and foreclosures. Most recently, Governor Sisolak issued Emergency Directive 013, providing additional social distancing measures in Nevada. 

NEVADA EMERGENCY DIRECTIVE 013 – APRIL 8, 2020

In summary, Emergency Directive provides the following starting at 11:59 pm on April 8, 2020, throughout the duration of the State of Emergency in Nevada:

• Requires sports and recreational venues including golf courses, driving ranges, tennis courts, basketball courts, among others to close.
• Requires showrooms used to display goods for same at essential businesses to close (Exception: sales via delivery and curbside services are permitted).
• Bans in-person gatherings of ten or more people at places of worship and pop-up religious assemblies.
• Requires Nevada OSHA to ensure that all essential businesses to provide adequate protections and adopt sanitization protocols that minimize the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.
• Prohibits Nevada licensed cosmetologists and barbers from providing in-house grooming services.
• Requires essential business to adopt measures to control in-store traffic to ensure social distancing standards are maintained.
• Supermarkets and grocery stores are prohibited from offering self-service food stations, salad bars, and unpackaged goods, such as unpackaged nuts, candies, bean, and coffee.
• Reaffirms that a violation of Section 1-3 of Directive 008, about evictions and foreclosures, constitutes conversion, duress, or intimidation in a transaction under NRS 598.0923(4).
• Allows government agencies to adopt ordinances to enforce this directive.

CITY OF NORTH LAS VEGAS ORDINANCE – APRIL 8, 2020

Also, on April 8, 2020, the City of North Las Vegas passed an ordinance that allows the city to penalize or fine, those who violate emergency directives from the governor or the city. Specifically, the law penalizes landlords and managers of residential and commercial properties who violate the state’s moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the new ordinance, violators are subject to administrative fines of up to $1,000 per day, revocation of business licenses or permits, or misdemeanor charges carrying penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.