As of Thursday morning, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County had reached 5,159. There are 98 new cases since July 16, indicating a 2% increase over the last week.

Of the 5,159 total cases, 4,876 have been released from isolation and 110 are presently active. Nevada County has had 75 deaths due to the coronavirus, with no deaths in over three months.

As of Thursday, 101,457 doses have been administered to Nevada County residents, according to the county website. The county has fully vaccinated 47,946 people.

---

---

PLACER COUNTY

As of Thursday morning, Placer County reported 24,483 COVID-19 cases, indicating a 1% rise in cases over the last week. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates there were 307 new cases over the last two weeks.

Zero Placer County residents died of COVID-19 in the last week, leaving the death toll to 304.

---

---

Placer County has distributed 412,502 vaccines since their introduction to the region. The county’s total number of fully vaccinated people is 200,283.

Placer County’s data may reflect inaccuracies.

Public Health officials attribute the recent uptick in cases, after a downward trend in the United States, to the Delta variant — a strain of the coronavirus that first began to gain traction in early June in California.

Nevada County Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Kellermann said the variant is more transmissible than the original virus. That’s why people should get vaccinated, because even if they have been infected previously with SARS-CoV-2, they have not developed the necessary antibodies to fight the sickness.

If the state was still following California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the tiered, capacity-restricting system would have regressed into the Orange Tier from the least restrictive — yellow.

According to the Department of Public Health, all businesses previously listed within the tier system no longer have capacity restrictions or distance requirements.

“Mega events,” made up of crowds larger than 5,000 indoors or 10,000 outdoors, may require vaccine verification, or negative testing indoors.

According to the health system’s website, anyone 12 years and older can schedule an appointment at MyTurn.ca.gov. Walk-up appointments are available as vaccine supply allows. Currently the Truckee vaccine clinic is offering the Pfizer vaccine, free to all.

The Tahoe Forest COVID Vaccine Clinic is at 11004 Donner Pass Road, next to Zander’s in the Gateway Building in Truckee.

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