Ahead of Mike Pence’s rally in Reno today, Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II released the following statement: 

“Pence’s reckless rally in Reno today can’t spin the truth about Trump: Nevadans are paying the price for his ineffective pandemic response with our lives and our livelihoods — especially in communities of color. While the Trump Administration has openly admitted that it’s waving the white flag on controlling the virus and claimed that we’re ‘rounding the corner’ on the pandemic, Washoe County just hit a record high for hospitalizations and active COVID cases. As head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Pence owns that failed record more than anyone save for Trump himself. Nevadans deserve better than Trump and Pence’s incompetence — that’s why voters across the Silver State are making a plan to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.” 

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP-PENCE ADMINISTRATION’S FAILED PANDEMIC RESPONSE IN WASHOE COUNTY

From the beginning, Trump and Pence’s ineffective mishandling of the pandemic has wreaked havoc on Nevadans’ health and safety, especially in Washoe County.

• Reno Gazette-Journal: “Washoe County saw new highs in active cases of COVID-19 as well as hospitalized cases Wednesday, according to the Washoe County Health District.” 

• “The county has identified 2,129 active cases, the seventh day in a row that the number has hit a record. Health officials reported 293 new diagnoses Wednesday — the second-highest daily total to date, surpassed only by Friday’s 350-case total.” 

• “COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county also hit a new peak at 102, exceeding the former high of 96 set on July 10.” 

• AP: Nevada county’s active COVID-19 cases up 52% in two weeks. “The number of reported active cases in the northern Nevada county topped 2,000 for the first time on Tuesday, a 52% increase over the past two weeks. Active cases stood at 1,329 on Oct. 13.”
  
• This Is Reno: Nevada in the COVID-19 red zone, Washoe County flagged as high risk. “Washoe County is performing poorly in COVID-19 mitigation efforts both locally and nationally. The number of new cases is surging here ahead of all other Nevada counties. It has attracted attention from the White House, which put it in the red zone for high levels of transmission.”