Nevada County COVID-19 Digest

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, telehealth visits in California increased by 61 percent, with one in five patient visits now being conducted remotely. But how long will this major boost to telehealth services last?

On March 11, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital recognized the COVID-19 pandemic’s two-year mark by having a part of its building “light up blue,” both to honor the work of health care workers and others during the pandemic and to remember the lives lost to COVID-19x.

On Feb. 16, California officials said that the state’s long-range plan for COVID-19 will focus on flexible responses to future variants and shift from an emergency mindset into one that assumes coexistence with the virus.

According to a release from the Nevada County public health officer, it is “still highly recommended” that people wear masks in public. However, per the statewide order, only unvaccinated individuals are required to do so.

In a letter to parents, the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District said it is pausing multiple school activities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The district is experiencing a large surge with a total of 163 active cases and over 400 people in quarantine.

As the omicron COVID-19 variant continues to spread through California, many are using over-the-counter testing kits. If you test positive, what do you do with your result?

U.S. health officials have lowered isolation restrictions from 10 to five days for patients with coronavirus. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the guidance reflects evidence that people are most infectious two days before and three days after symptoms develop.

A Truckee high school teacher was let go after refusing to get a COVID vaccine or get tested. She is one of many who could be facing loss of employment due to new protocols.

Nevada County Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Kellermann has issued an amendment to his August 25 order to remove limits on events while leaving masking requirements in place. The amended order will go into effect at 12:01 am on Nov. 10.

Sierra Business Council, on behalf of the town of Truckee, is introducing a program that provides financing to eligible small businesses, funded by Community Development Block Grant funds designed to stimulate economic growth and provide support in the recovery from COVID-19.

For weeks a group of people has spoken to Nevada County supervisors about the virus, the vaccine and its supposed effects, while others who support vaccines and mask push back.

Outdoor dining in Truckee will continue through the end of October, now that the city is offering a one-month extension for downtown businesses to continue to use outdoor patio spaces.

In late August and into September, Nevada County saw its highest number of COVID-19 cases since early in the pandemic. And even as COVID-19 continued to affect the region, recent fires also had a negative impact.

According to a press release issued by public health officials, Nevada County had 488 confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the week of Aug. 30 to Sept. 3—the highest number of weekly cases since the start of the pandemic. More than 500 confirmed cases in August involved children.

California has some of the most extensive workplace vaccine requirements in the nation, but they don’t cover every industry. Some advocates say the state should expand its vaccine mandates to certain industries.

The Delta variant, a contagious strain of SARS-CoV-2, is wreaking havoc across the United States—and around the Tahoe region. Moonshine Ink looks at the numbers in counties around the lake.

A Harvard University study found evidence linking smoke from wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington in 2020 to rising COVID cases and deaths. They said that fine particulate matter acts as a vehicle for spreading infection and makes existing cases worse.

Hospitals in six rural California counties—including Nevada County—are now treating more COVID-19 patients than ever, breaking records by exceeding their winter surges.

Nevada County Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Kellermann had issued an order requiring that all individuals, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, wear face coverings indoors in public settings and businesses.

The website is posting a weekly Friday wrap-up of COVID-19 statistics for counties around Lake Tahoe.

As COVID cases dramatically rose in Nevada County, the past few weeks saw many dining and drinking establishments voluntarily shut down in Grass Valley and Nevada City, either because of sick employees or out of an abundance of caution.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nevada County reached 5,693 Thursday morning. There are 369 new cases since July 30, indicating a 7 percent increase over the last week.

Around Lake Tahoe and its surrounding communities, business owners are feeling the labor shortage pinch, with help wanted ads unanswered and interviews unattended.

Low-income Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal have been vaccinated at far lower rates than the overall population. About 45 percent of eligible Medi-Cal enrollees had received at least one dose as of July 18, compared to about 70 percent of all eligible Californians, state officials said.

As the number of cases of COVID begin to rise in California again, a new UC Davis study shows that people have become desensitized and disinterested in following public health guidelines. The UC Davis researchers hopes their study can help with public outreach before COVID-19 again reaches crisis levels.

As the economy in California reopens, businesses are finding it difficult to attract employees. And that’s certainly the case in Nevada and Placer counties, which have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the state.

Though mask requirements have been lifted for vaccinated individuals, certain higher risk settings still require face coverings. In accordance with CDC guidance, Tahoe Forest Health System will continue to require that all personnel, patients, visitors and residents wear a face covering in all of its premises.

Originally unveiled last month in Nevada City, the Remembrance Memorial art installation honoring victims of COVID-19 is now on view in Truckee. The work is expected to remain downtown at Victory Plaza until Aug 12.

While the federal government has loosened mask mandates, California Health officials announced Monday that masks will be required indoors until June 15.

Health officials report four active outbreaks, defined as three or more cases not within the same household in a 14-day period.

As the snow-sports season comes to a close, resort officials reflect on how they fared during the pandemic.

The city first closed part of the street in response to the pandemic—a move, says Mayor Ben Aguilar, that improved the community for the better.