I had posted, on Facebook, a notice that the Lyon County brothels would stay open despite the Governor’s strong suggestion that non-essential businesses shut down. The Mustang Ranch is also open for business. The Mustang is open and C street is shut down…that’s very telling…at least to me.

Those posts got A LOT of traffic in comments and likes….all in disbelief. One, in particular, wrote a very succinct letter to the County Manager.

I thought I’d put this out there since we rely on our County leadership to take the best interests of ALL of our citizens locally and regionally into account when they make Public Health decisions.

None of this is trivial. Everyone is suffering…..everyone should do everything that can be done to save lives..if not their own…..the lives of others.

While draconian, the shut-down measures are designed to save lives. I expect that the restrictions will be lifted as soon as it’s safe for us all so that we can all get back to pulling together what’s left of our businesses, the economy, and our lives. Until then….we need to think of others and “stay away”.

The businesses who are closed whether voluntarily or under mandate have my deepest thanks and respect. I thank you for your care.

For a non-essential business that has frequent contact with lots of people to think that they will somehow be different and immune from endangering people’s lives is reprehensible….you are being reckless with the lives of others.

Below is a letter written to County Manager Osborne from a nurse that I think pretty well nets out the need to take protecting and not endangering people’s lives seriously. 

Thanks to Deborah Quam for writing it.

Dear Mr. Osborne:

I am writing in relation to published reports that you have not yet implemented the State of Nevada Public Health Directive in relation to the public health crisis in the global COVID19 pandemic.

You are putting your elderly population at risk. 

You are putting the chronically ill at risk.

You are putting your health care workers at risk. 

You are putting your first responders at risk. 

Without your cooperation, the hospitals will be overwhelmed and people will die. Because we don’t have the testing capabilities yet to test enough symptomatic people, one of our few tools is social distancing. 

There aren’t enough N95 masks for health care workers to assess and treat patients. Nurses and doctors at my hospital are now starting to have to treat patients without protection. We are even trying to get construction companies to donate. We must flatten the COVID19 viral curve in order to avoid the massive loss of life.

Without your quick and decisive action, there are not going to be enough ventilators available to keep patients with respiratory failure alive. For example, there are only 10,000 ventilators in the federal strategic supply.

To not implement the governor’s order AS DIRECTED may be a violation of law. I’m sure your legal counsel will address this with you. You are also taking on a huge civil liability if you keep non-essential businesses open in a public health emergency in violation of state order. 

What happens if a citizen or EMS worker or a health care worker contracts COVID19 as a result of exposure while at a non-essential business? Public health does infectious disease tracing. As President Trump has directed, we have to confront this health care crisis and save lives. Public health is our number one priority. Business financial interests are secondary and will be addressed by the federal and state government as soon as possible. 

Thank you for your anticipated assistance in this grave public health emergency.

Deborah A. Quam, RN, Patient Care Manager.