Placer County on Wednesday was removed from the state’s County Data Monitoring List for COVID-19, with the rate of new positive cases in the county dipping below that state monitoring metric.

If the county remains off the list for at least 14 days, K-12 schools could potentially reopen for in-person instruction. However, no other businesses would be allowed to modify their operations until the state modifies the state order, a news release states.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors and Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson have made requests that the state order be revised to allow affected businesses to resume indoor operations once a county has been off the monitoring list for two weeks, consistent with school guidance. The state reports on its COVID-19 website that it is reassessing the order and will provide updates in the coming week.

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“This is great news. I think our residents are doing a good job, and we still have to do what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Board Chair and District 1 Supervisor Bonnie Gore. “We don’t want people to get sick. We don’t want to see people in our hospitals. And we do want to see our business community open safely.”

On Aug. 14, Nevada County also reported its second death due to COVID-19, nearly five months after the previous death was recorded on March 16.

Local health officials continue to urge Placer residents to follow the recommended precautions so that the county’s case rate and other metrics continue to meet state thresholds. That includes using a face covering when in public, maintaining physical distance, avoiding gatherings, staying home if sick and regular hand washing.

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At a special meeting Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors heard from a panel of scientists and physicians offering perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic and recommended actions to balance limiting the impacts of COVID-19 with avoiding other economic and social consequences. Video of the panel discussion is available here: https://youtu.be/5UYnfr541ho

CASE COUNT

Placer County’s total case count increased by 250 cases since last week, with 16 of those new positive tests being in the eastern county and the vast majority — 213 cases — in South Placer.

Four new deaths were reported in Placer County, bringing the total to 30 since the pandemic began. A total of 60,155 tests have been conducted countywide, with a total of 2,663 positive cases.

In Nevada County, 37 new cases were reported over last week, with 29 of those in western Nevada County and eight in the eastern county area of Truckee. On Aug. 14, Nevada County also reported its second death due to COVID-19, nearly five months after the previous death was recorded on March 16.

There are 58 active cases in Nevada County, 13 more over the past week, with one person currently hospitalized.