COVID-19 numbers surge in Lassen, Plumas counties
The number of COVID-19 cases in Lassen County doubled in two days, according to numbers reported on Lassen Cares yesterday, Friday, Jan 7.
Richard Egan, a public information officer for Lassen County’s COVID-19 response team acknowledged the uptick in numbers.
“Testing is indicating more cases,” Egan said, but he said the Lassen Cares numbers may not reflect an accurate picture of the number of cases because residents who contract the virius may never report the illness to the county.
“I think the value of that data has always been suspect,” Egan said, “but it’s even more so now given the nature of the availability of home tests … And even if you did a home test, unless your employer or school requires you to get a reported test, there’s really not much reason to,” report an illness to Lassen Cares.
Given the availability of testing and vaccinations outside the county’s view, Egan said, “The testing numbers are less and less valuable and have less and less meaning the further on we go into this. The good news is people don’t seem to be getting as sick.”
Egan said residents should follow the CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19.
And in neighboring Plums County, the number of COVID-19 cases is raising concern as the Plumas Unified School District closed some elementary school classes in Quincy and Chester and sent more students home in Taylorsville. And another four students tested positive at Feather River College after 10 students tested positive earlier this week.
Current statistics
These numbers are the most recent reported by Lassen Cares, the agency in Lassen County that reports COVID-19 statistics to the public, as of 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7.
Lassen County COVID-19 counts
Community Cases
- 87 active cases;
- 31 new cases;
- 4,188 recovered cases;
- 1 currently hospitalized;
- 59 deaths;
- 4,335 total cases;
- 31 percent fully vaccinated active cases;
- 0 percent fully vaccinated hospitalized; and
- 8,385 vaccine doses administered (only reflects vaccine doses administered by Lassen County Public Health).
Correctional Institution Cases
There has been a total of 3,856 inmate cases in Lassen County.
California Correctional Center
- 0 active case; and
- 1,434 recovered cases.
High Desert State Prison
- 0 active cases;
- 2,067 recovered cases; and
- 2 deaths.
Federal Correctional Institution, Herlong
- 4 active cases; and
- 348 recovered cases.