COVID-19 is continuing to rage on in the State of Nevada, including in Mineral County. According to the Nevada Health Response Current Status of Total Cases reported from March 2020 to the present, there have been 785 positive confirmed cases and 11 new daily confirmed cases within its 14-day moving average. The dashboard shows that since April 2020, there was a small spike of daily new cases in July 2020, a larger spike in January 2021, and a significant spike in new cases statewide in January of this year. To date, there have been 14 deaths attributed to Covid in Mineral County.
Results of at-home COVID-19 tests are not included in these statistics and the Nevada Health Response warns that “Probable cases may be artificially low due to inconsistent reporting”. About the testing and reporting of Covid in Mineral County, the Mineral County Emergency Management began releasing “Mineral County Covid Dashboard” numbers again on its Facebook page. On January 24, 2022, it posted that there are 47 new confirmed cases, 2 probable cases, 18 active cases, and 804 recoveries in Mineral County. However, it is unclear where or how the MC Covid Dashboard is generated. No one at the Emergency Management department could be reached for comment, although Mineral County Commissioner Cassie Hall replied to an email stating that the new Public Health District hired a regional liaison who will be working with test generators to reflect more accurate local test/ positive reporting.
The new Public Health District is the partnership that the Churchill County Public Health Department is taking the lead on, which is an agreement to form a health district alliance between Churchill, Eureka, Pershing, and Mineral counties. While it may take some time for the partnership to fully come to fruition, the Churchill Public Health Department has already began offering Covid testing, vaccines, and flu shots 2-3 times a month in Mineral County. It held several testing and vaccination clinics in January at the Hawthorne Army Depot and Sheriff’s Office. All three types of Covid vaccines as well as the flu vaccine have been available at the clinics.
Churchill County Public Health also offers COVID monoclonal antibody treatment for eligible individuals with a physician’s referral (Call 775-423-6695, Option 2 for more information). Churchill County Public Health plans to host at least two more Covid events in February.
Commissioner Hall says that Shannon Ernst of Churchill County Social Services has been pivotal in the Public Health District’s creation during the evolving Covid situation.
Update from the Walker River Paiute Tribe
On January 24, the Walker River Paiute Tribe also released its total positive active cases. Currently there are nine people hospitalized, three deaths, and eleven people with Covid who are self-isolating at home.
“We are seeing a fast increase in Covid cases and widespread exposures,” the Walker River Paiute Tribe released along with its Covid numbers. “Please continue to follow all CDC guidelines; wear a N95 face mask or 3-layered mask, wash your hands for 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer, do not touch your face, social distance of six feet, and if you are NOT feeling well or sick, STAY HOME.
“If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or instructed to self-quarantine, self-isolate within your residence for the remainder of your quarantine/ self-isolate or testing date. This is imperative to slow the spread of COVID-19 within our community,” the Walker River Paiute Tribe statement further reads. Its health clinic asks that if you are having COVID-19 symptoms please contact the clinic to schedule an appointment to be tested at 775-773-2005.
The Nevada Health Response dashboard shows that Mineral County has been flagged for elevated disease transmission for having a high case rate per 100,000 people over the last 30 days as well as having a high test positivity rate over the past 14 days (with a 7-day lag).
