As of Thursday morning, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County had reached 3,988. There are 63 new cases since last Thursday, Feb. 25, indicating a 2% increase.

Of the 3,988 total cases, 3,864 have been released from isolation and 50 are presently active. There have been 74 deaths by COVID-19 in Nevada County, none in the last four weeks.

Officials from Nevada County’s Department of Public Health encouraged residents to sign up for MyTurn to receive notification of vaccine eligibility and open appointments. Visit myturn.ca.gov or call 1-833-422-4255 to register.

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According to Nevada County’s Health and Human Services Director Ryan Gruver, the county has distributed 25,000 vaccines so far.

Gruver said approximately 17,000 of those vaccines went to residents who are 65 and over. The remainder were available to those who work in education, food and agriculture, childcare and emergency responders.

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Nevada and Placer counties are seven weeks into the purple tier. Both regions’ seven-day positivity rate dropped significantly since the pandemic’s third peak in December, but the case rate per 100,000 people keep the counties in the most restrictive tier.

“I know we’re all disappointed in the numbers,” Gruver said. “In a small county we kind of jump around a little bit.”

As of Thursday morning, Placer County reported 19,911 COVID-19 cases, indicating a 1% rise in cases since last Thursday. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates that there are 209 new cases this week.

Placer County’s death toll rose to 232 — one of which took place in the last week.

Placer County’s data may reflect inaccuracies because of a lag in information.

Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said residents of Placer County who qualify can text “PLACERVACCINE” to 898-211 in order to schedule an appointment.

Rebecca O’Neil is a staff writer with the Sierra Sun and The Union, a sister publication of the Sun.