Carson City, Quad County Tuesday COVID briefing: Positive cases soar more than 1K in week

Carson City Health and Human Services is reporting Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020 that there has been a significant increase in positive cases over the last week. Since Nov. 16, 2020, CCHHS has received over 1,000 positive results for the Quad-County region. Due to the high volume of cases, not all positive cases have been contacted. CCHHS is working to investigate the cases and reduce the back log in positive results.

Due to the increase in positivity rates throughout the Quad-County region, CCHHS must change the case reporting protocol. Previously, cases were not reported until an investigation was completed. Effective Tuesday, positive labs received will be reported as an active case and the individuals will be notified of their test result which may be prior to an investigation occurring.

As the positivity rate continues to increase in the Quad-County region, CCHHS encourages everyone to continue practicing preventative actions such as wearing a mask when around people who are not in your household, washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, practicing social distancing, and staying home as much as possible. As we enter the holiday season, staying diligent and preventing the spread of COVID-19 is even more important.

We are reporting 1,160 new cases and no additional recoveries of COVID-19 in the Quad-County region. This brings the total number of cases to 4,153, with 2,219 recoveries and 33 deaths; 1,901 cases remain active.

Carson City
-2161 Total Cases (+535 from 11/23)
-1172 Active (+535 from 11/23)
-975 Recovered (+0 from 11/23)
-14 Deaths (+0 from 11/23)

Douglas County
-810 Total (+264 from 11/23)
-303 Active (+264 from 11/23)
-504 Recovered (+0 from 11/23)
-3 Deaths (+0 from 11/23)

Lyon County
-1131 Total (+343 from 11/23)
-404 Active (+343 from 11/23)
-711 Recovered (+0 from 11/23)
-16 Deaths (+0 from 11/23)

Storey County
-51 Total (+18 from 11/23)
-22 Active (+18 from 11/23)
-29 Recoveries (+0 from 11/23)

TOTAL
-4,153 Total Cases (+1,160 from 11/23)
-1,901 Active Cases (+1,160 from 11/23)
-2219 Recovered (+0 from 11/23)
-33 Deaths (+0 from 11/23)

Read the full news release here. Gender and age break down of the cases by county as well as the cases by zip code is available at https://gethealthycarsoncity.org/novel-coronavirus-2019/

Statewide numbers can be found at the Nevada Health Response website: https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov

Quad-County COVID-19 Daily Update Change
Due to a growing number of daily cases, CCHHS will no longer be providing specific details about each individual case. Beginning Monday, Oct. 26, CCHHS will only report on the number of new cases, recoveries, and deaths for each county.

Website tracks case exposures, demographics for 2-week period
Quad-County COVID-19 weekly reports are now available. These reports highlight case exposures and demographics for a 2 week period in the Quad-County Region as well for each individual county or municipality (Carson City, Douglas County, Lyon County, Storey County). Go here to view the reports.

Drive-Thru Flu Vaccination & COVID-19 Testing for Quad-County Residents
There are more drive-thru flu vaccination and COVID-19 testing events for Quad-County residents this week. For convenience, CCHHS is contracted to bill most insurances. For uninsured we ask for a $20 administration fee; however, no one will be turned away for the inability to pay. CCHHS is not contracted with Tricare or labor unions. Testing is free of charge; first come, first served, no appointments or reservations.

CCHHS will continue to offer combination flu vaccination and COVID-19 testing events for Quad-County residents throughout the month of December. Go here to view a list of events in December.

For the flu vaccine: We are able to bill Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurances. We are not a contracted provider for labor unions or Tricare. Please bring a copy of your insurance card with you. For those who are uninsured or underinsured, a $20 admin fee is requested. However, no one will be turned away for their inability to pay. For the COVID-19 test: The test is FREE, no insurance information will be collected for the test only

Carson City Health and Human Services has launched a new phone number for the Quad-County COVID-19 Hotline. Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17 the phone number will be (775) 434-1988. The hotline is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The change is required to handle the volume of calls regarding questions about COVID and the number of people interested in being tested. CCHHS will continue to offer testing to Quad-County residents with and without symptoms.