As of Thursday morning, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County had reached 4,502. There are 77 new cases since Thursday, April 15, indicating a 2% increase.

Of the 4,502 total cases, 4,331 have been released from isolation and 96 are presently active. Nevada County’s total death toll is 75, with no deaths in the last two weeks.

Nevada County, currently in the red tier, has administered 63,770 vaccine doses so far. California’s Health and Human Services website reported 25,109 people have been fully vaccinated — two doses weeks apart for Moderna and Pfizer — and 15,032 people have been partially vaccinated.

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Nevada County Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Kellermann said he expects the suspension of the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to lift sometime soon.

Jill Blake, Nevada County public health director, said the temporary suspension, initiated April 13 by the federal government, indicates that the vaccine safety system “is working.”

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“It’s a pause out of an abundance of caution and a commitment to patient safety,” Blake said.

Nevada County’s Deputy Health Officer Dr. Glennah Trochet said the difference in vaccine distribution countywide would be negligible given how small the weekly allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was.

Kellermann said although the demand for vaccines locally remains “unabated,” the governor’s goal to reopen the state by June 15 is lofty.

“If we continue with the pace of approximately 750 immunizations per day, five days per week, we will have immunized a large segment of the county by June 15,” Kellermann said. “While we will be short of herd immunity, we are certainly headed in the right direction.”

Kellermann said even though the tier system will likely be replaced come June, “masking and physical distancing will still be encouraged.”

Placer County also is in the red tier.

As of Thursday morning, Placer County reported 21,957 COVID-19 cases, indicating a 1% rise in cases over the last seven days. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates there were 313 new cases this week.

There were two deaths in Placer County this week, bringing the death toll to 283.

Placer’s data may reflect inaccuracies because of a lag in information. Additionally, the county issued a press release last week noting that the COVID-19 transmission rate may be three times what the county has been able to log.

Placer County has distributed 273,826 doses of the available vaccine. Over 115,581 people in the county are fully inoculated of the nearly 400,000 person population. Over 48,000 people remain partially vaccinated.

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