As of Thursday morning, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County had reached 3,813. There are 117 new cases since last Thursday, Feb. 11, indicating a 3% increase.

Of the 3,813 total cases, 3,198 have been released from isolation and 541 are presently active. There have been 74 deaths by COVID-19 in Nevada County, none in the last two weeks.

According to the California Department of Public Health, over half of the 74 deaths in Nevada County have taken place in skilled nursing facilities.

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Residents of Nevada County can dial 211 to determine vaccine availability through the state’s MyTurn Vaccine program.

Officials from Nevada County’s Department of Public Health encourage 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 a press release issued by the county on Monday, over 15,000 doses have been administered to Nevada County residents so far.

All of the available vaccines on-hand have been committed for appointments, mostly next week.

“Nevada County has more appointments scheduled next week than Public Health, or local providers, have (vaccines) on-hand,” Taylor Wolfe, county spokesperson, said in the press release.

Nevada and Placer counties are five weeks into the purple tier. Restaurants are open for outdoor dining. The state strongly advised community members to wear masks and socially distance to mitigate COVID-19’s transmission.

Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson said the county’s cases have declined significantly since the nationwide peak mid-December.

With a case rate of 11.2 per 100,000, Placer County remains in the “widespread” Tier 1 of the state’s categorization of risk, even though the county’s seven-day positivity rate — 4.5% — is two tiers ahead.

“That gives us some hope that soon we can get reopened,” Gustafson said in a public Zoom meeting Wednesday night.

As of Thursday morning, Placer County reported 19,457 COVID-19 cases, indicating a 2% rise in cases since last Thursday. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates that there are 336 new cases this week.

Placer County’s death toll rose to 223 — five of which took place in the last week.

Placer County may reflect a lag in its data.

Gustafson said Placer County ranks seventh in the state for vaccine distribution per capita so far. Over 80,000 doses have been administered, she added, for people who fall under the Phase 1A category. Gustafson said for Placer County, that now includes law enforcement and educators.

Gustafson said residents of Placer County that qualify can text “PLACERVACCINE” to 898-211 in order to schedule an appointment.

County officials receive weekly updates about their rolling allotment of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. Safeway, CVS and Walgreens are also receiving vaccine shipments from the federal government. The Tahoe Forest Health System has been allocated a portion of the allotments granted to both Placer and Nevada County.

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