In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared the virus to be a severe public health threat. As of April 1, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 827,419 confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to 40,777 deaths in 206 countries. 1,279 of those cases and 32 of those deaths were reported in Nevada.

Between the time COVID-19 was first detected and April 1, 2020, various government agencies have taken a series of actions to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020;
• The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency on January 31, 2020;
• On March 11, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic;
• Governor Steve Sisolak declared an emergency in the State of Nevada due to the impacts and risks of COVID-19 on March 12, 2020;
• On March 13, 2020, the President of the United Stated declared a national emergency;
• On March 15, 2020, Governor Sisolak closed all Nevada schools until at least April 6, which date has since been extended until at least April 30;
• City Manager Neil Krutz declared a local emergency in the City of Sparks related to the outbreak of COVID-19 on March 15, 2020; and
• On April 1, 2020 Governor Sisolak issued a stay at home order for Nevada

Sections 1.30.010 and 2.20.025 of the Sparks Municipal Code empower the City Manager to proclaim the existence of a local state of emergency and to request state and federal assistance when the City of Sparks is affected by, or in imminent danger of, a public calamity and the City Council is not in session. The decision to declare a local emergency came on the evening of Sunday, March 15, 2020, following Governor Sisolak's announcement that schools would be closed, statewide, effective immediately. Because the City operates several after school programs and provides childcare during school breaks, and because Monday, March 16, 2020, was the first day of spring break for the Washoe County School District, the City Manager took immediate action by declaring an emergency in order to allow the City certain fiscal flexibility in responding to the situation that it would not have otherwise been able to access. Mayor Smith concurred with the declaration nearly contemporaneously.

1. The City Council may ratify the declaration of local emergency as recommended.

2. The City Council may reject the declaration of local emergency and provide further direction to the City Manager.

I move to ratify the City Manager's declaration of a state of emergency in the City of Sparks due to the global outbreak of COVID-19.