As of Thursday morning, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County had reached 4,771. There are 29 new cases since Thursday, May 13, indicating a 1% increase.

Of the 4,771 total cases, 4,567 have been released from isolation and 129 are presently active. Nevada County’s total death toll is 75, with no deaths in the last six weeks.

The county remains in the red tier.

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According to California’s Health and Human Services’ website, 1,790 more Nevada County residents became fully vaccinated over the last seven days, bring the total number of those with regional herd immunity up to 36,453.

The total number of people with one of the two shots required to complete the Moderna and Pfizer vaccination process is 10,269.

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County Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Kellermann said 750 immunizations a day, five days a week — 3,750 vaccines on a weekly basis — should keep the county on track to immunize a large segment of the population by the goal date of June 15.

Kellermann said even though the state plans to replace the tiered system come June, “masking and physical distancing will still be encouraged.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently lifted the mask mandate for those fully vaccinated. However, local governments and businesses can have their own mask requirements.

Placer County also is in the red tier.

As of Thursday morning, Placer County reported 22,665 COVID-19 cases, indicating a 1% rise in cases over the last seven days. The county’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates there were 136 new cases this week.

There were three deaths in Placer County this week, bringing the death toll to 295.

A mid-April press release issued by the county noted that the COVID-19 transmission rate may be three times what has been logged.

Placer County data may reflect inaccuracies due to a lag in the information.

Placer County has distributed 343,934 vaccines since their introduction to the region. The county’s total of fully vaccinated people is 156,727 — just under 40% of the county.

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