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Officials report sharp increase in coronavirus cases

Staff Report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Coronavirus case rates are quickly climbing in the region and the Delta variant is circulating.

The county on Monday reported 78 new cases over the last three days, Saturday through Monday, including 14 from the Lake Tahoe region.

While the county doesn’t have data on how many are the variant, officials said they have been alerted to 11 variant cases all with lab collection dates between May and early July.



Sixteen of the new cases are 17 years of age or under, 22 are between 50-64, 12 are 65 or older and one date of birth is unknown.

The county’s two hospitals have 10 patients, including three in the intensive care unit.



The county announced 26 assumed recoveries and deaths remained at 120 since two West Slope residents died last week due to the virus.

The county has had 10,935 cases overall and 10,378 assumed recoveries putting the active case count at about 437.

If the state were still using the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, the county would be in the most restrictive tier with an adjusted daily case rate of 10.3, a positivity rate of 5.5% and a health equity quartile positivity rate of 8.5%.

About half of county residents (92,204) are fully vaccinated (47.7%) and more than half (53.5%, 103,339) have received at least one dose.

Washoe County is urging everyone to get vaccinated as cases rise and deaths continue to add up.

The county has lost four residents to the variant since July 1, and all four cases had not received the vaccine, officials said.

“Those who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine have the greatest risk of contracting, being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer in Washoe County. “Those who are choosing not to get vaccinated are contributing greatly to the increase in cases. Nevada and Clark County have both reinstated COVID-19 mitigation measures to curb this recent surge and we might be forced to consider similar actions if these increases continue.”

Officials recently said the test positivity rate in the county is 7.7%, which has more than doubled in the last month and the 7-day average for new cases is at 45, which doubled over a two week span.

The county is promoting several vaccination sites over the next two weeks in Reno and Sparks and is also offering homebound vaccines where nurses come to your home and administer the vaccine.

Appointments are available, but not required, for each of the vaccination sites by visiting the health department website or by calling 775-328-2427.

Douglas County had 27 new cases and 14 recoveries reported last week. The current 14-day moving average for Douglas County is three new cases per day with a 6.2% test positivity rate.

In the county, 22,775 residents have been completely vaccinated and 24,377 have initiated vaccination. Approximately 51.62% of the population 12 years and older have completed vaccination.The county has approximately 49,695 residents.

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