Under the Nevada Open Records Act (NRS.239), revised under SB287 taking effect

October 1, 2019, we are requesting the following:

1. A copy of all emails between the Governor and medical experts, his staff and other state governors related to his decision to lift the mask mandate on Feb 10, 2022, including communication logs.

2. Copies of any other open records requests from other news outlets for the same documents.

It is intended that this request encompass any and all public records in the control of Nevada Office of the Governor. It is asked that this request be considered in the broadest possible way allowed under Nevada law.

The request was filed due to the actions and statements from the Governor on February 10, 2022, during a virtual press conference in which the cited the “science” to immediately suspend the mask mandate in Nevada. The request was also filed due to the statements made by UNLV epidemiologist Dr. Brian Labus to Vegas Fox 5.

Following the Governor’s press conference, Vegas Fox 5 interviewed Dr. Labus. Labus has a PHD in  epidemiology and serves on the Governor’s medical advisory board and the COVID-19 (CV-19) response team at UNLV.

During the interview, Labus admitted that the Governor never consulted with him or any other member of the CV-19 response team prior to lifting the mask mandate. Labus also stated that the Governor lifted the mask mandate due to “political changes and practical considerations”.

“There’s been a lot of political changes…There were practical considerations needed to be made by the Governor and those outweighed the science…He didn’t ask us for our advice (when lifting this mandate)…but we aren’t the only medical people he is talking to”, Labus admitted.

After the Governor’s announcement, members of the press and GOP candidates questioned the scientific basis for his mask mandate by highlighting scientific data.

In a thread posted by Adam Laxalt, former NV Attorney General and republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Laxalt takes aim at Sisolak and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto:

Although Sisolak lifted the mask mandate, he refused to relinquish his emergency powers and directives, telling Victor Joecks of the Las Vegas Review Journal that “The emergency is not over.” Yet, the Nevada state government and Nevada Health Department numbers lend support to Sisolak’s critics.

According to their data, in 2020, COVID-19 killed 3,000 Nevadans. Since December 2020, 3 million vaccine doses were administered and 57% of Nevadan adults are now considered “fully vaccinated.” By the end of 2021, Nevada officials reported more than 5,300 new COVID-19 deaths in 2021– a 175% increase over 2020. Nevada stands at 276 deaths per 100,000 people since the beginning of January 2020.