A third National Nuclear Security Administration employee has died from COVID-19, and the agency recorded more than 100 new cases among its workforce for the second consecutive week, a spokesperson said Friday.
The semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency declined to identify the person who died, but did say they worked at the Nevada National Security Site. That makes two fatal cases during the pandemic for Nevada. The agency’s other fatal case was at the Y-12 site in Oak Ridge.
“Both communities remain in our thoughts,” the spokesperson from National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) headquarters said Friday.
There were 226 active COVID-19 cases among the NNSA’s federal and contractor workforce as of deadline Friday, the spokesperson said. That’s 31 more active cases than last week. Also this week, 73 people recovered from their bouts with the disease caused by the novel coronavirus that broke out in Wuhan, China, last year.
The NNSA has had a total of 1,113 confirmed COVID-19 cases since the outbreak was confirmed to have hit the U.S. in January. The NNSA does not disclose the overall productivity effect of COVID-19 on its nuclear weapons operations, such as the number of people quarantining at labs, plants or sites due to close contact with the infected.
This week, the U.S. set, then topped, new records for the most new COVID-19 cases recorded in a single day. At deadline, Thursday’s new case count stood as the record, at more than 88,000. The previous record was roughly 84,000 cases on Monday, which handily topped a record of about 77,000 cases that had stood since the middle of July.
The country logged over 100,000 more new cases this week than last, and the rate of new deaths increased slightly, by 276 compared with the prior week.
Amid the disease’s rapid spread, the rate of new cases at some NNSA host locales, including Kansas City, Mo., Alameda County, Calif., Aiken, S.C., did start to level off, or even trickle downward, after an early-autumn jump.
Elsewhere, the rate of new cases in nuclear-weapons regions, especially near NNSA hubs in New Mexico and Nevada, continued to climb. Tennessee remained in the middle of a prolonged spike, reflected by over 100 more new deaths this week than last, even as the weekly rate of new cases rose by about 4,000, compared with the previous seven-days.
National Laboratories Cases
Following are the reported numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases at NNSA nuclear weapons laboratories, and increases relative to the prior week, as provided Friday by the labs.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory:
Cases: 66 (+4). Livermore is the only lab that does not test its own employees. A spokesperson for the lab said that all but four of these people have recovered from their bouts with COVID-19.
Los Alamos National Laboratory:
Cases: 91 (+11)
Internal tests: 7,591 (+397; a lab spokesperson said Friday these on-site tests have resulted in 12 positive results).
Teleworking: Roughly 55% of all employees.
Sandia National Laboratories:
Cases: 131 (+19)
Albuquerque: 117 (+18)
Livermore: 14 (+1)
Internal tests: 3,509 (+193)
Teleworking: Roughly 60% of all employees.
Cases in NNSA Host Regions
Following is Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor’s weekly digest of confirmed COVID-19 cases, including fatal cases, in the host cities, counties and states of NNSA nuclear weapons sites. The figures below are based on cumulative cases recorded since the first confirmed U.S. instance of COVID-19 in January.
Data come from a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and from select states, counties, and cities, where noted.
The Monitor tracks weekly changes, using the latest data available at deadline, which is sometimes current as of the Wednesday or Thursday before publication.
Testing figures represent the number of tests performed, not the number of people tested.
Missouri – Kansas City National Security Campus
Kansas City
Total confirmed cases: 14,583
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 679
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -124
Fatal cases: 200 (+23 from the prior week, four fewer new deaths this week than last).
Missouri, Statewide:
Total cases: 177,707
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 12,497
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -51
Fatal cases: 2,891 (+226 from the prior week, 21 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 40,316 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change), 25% more than three weeks ago(↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 4/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 2,474,396 (+127,906 from last week (↑); +495,006 in three weeks (↓)). Missouri has sharply increased the number of tests performed in October, which accounts for the sudden decrease this week in the number of tests performed compared with three weeks ago.
New Mexico – NNSA Albuquerque, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Bernalillo County/Albuquerque:
Total confirmed cases: 11,116
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,431
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +174
Fatal cases: 201 (+12 from the prior week, seven more new deaths this week than last).
Los Alamos:
Total confirmed cases: 48
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 8
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +5
Fatal cases: 0 (No change from last week, and no confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the county, to date).
Surrounding Counties, Los Alamos (Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Taos):
Total confirmed cases: 513/2,040/1,791/245 – 4,589 for the group
Cumulative week-to-week increase for group: 1,091
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week, for group: +653
Fatal cases for group: 81 (+4 from the prior week, for group; three fewer new deaths this week than last, for group).
New Mexico, Statewide:
Total cases: 44,904
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 5,527
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,108
Fatal cases: 994 (+41 from the prior week, 10 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): (tests per 100,000 people): 54,424 (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change), 18% more than three weeks ago (↑)). Rank among NNSA host states: 1/7 (highest amount of tests per 100,000) — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 1,141,186 (+63,099 from last week(↑); +175,867 in three weeks (↑)).
Tennessee – Y-12 National Security Complex
Anderson County:
Total confirmed cases: 1,813
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 202
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +77
Fatal cases: 14 (+0 from the prior week, one fewer new death this week than last week).
Tennessee, Statewide:
Total cases: 256,880
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 18,973
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +3,893
Fatal cases: 3,263 (+252 from the prior week, 105 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 53,266 (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑), 18% more than three weeks ago (no chage)). Rank among NNSA host states: 2/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 3,637,643 (+201,309 from last week (↑); +547,790 in three weeks (↓)).
California – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (and Sandia’s California campus)
Alameda County (Including Livermore, Calif.):
Total confirmed cases: 23,636
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 635
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +4
Fatal cases: 463 (+7 from the prior week, seven fewer new deaths this week than last).
San Jaoquin County (near Alameda County):
Total confirmed cases: 21,994
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 466
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +76
Fatal cases: 492 (+4 from the prior week, one fewer new death this week than last).
California, Statewide:
Total cases: 924,366
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 30,364
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +5,085
Fatal cases: 17,573 (+307 from the prior week, 119 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 46,374 (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑), 17% more than three weeks ago(↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 3/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 18,323,771 (+965,001 from last week (↑); +2,700,148 in three weeks(↑)).
South Carolina – Savannah River Site
Aiken County:
Total confirmed cases: 5,051
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 187
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +6
Fatal cases: 87 (+1 from the prior week, no more new deaths this week than last).
Savannah River Site:
Total confirmed cases: 619
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 10
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -8
Fatal cases: 1 (no change; not an NNSA employee).
Active cases: 28
South Carolina, Statewide:
Total cases: 174,591
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 7,106
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +727
Fatal cases: 3,889 (+134 from the prior week, 14 fewer new deaths this week than last week).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 34,450 tests per 100,000 people (8% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑); 24% more than three weeks ago (↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 5/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 1,773,742 (+124,391 from last week (↑); +343,103 in three weeks (↑)).
Texas – Pantex Plant
Potter County:
Total confirmed cases: 8,096
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 556
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +37
Fatal cases: 100 (+2 from the prior week, 11 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Randall County:
Total confirmed cases: 5,327
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 565
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -9
Fatal cases: 59 (+3 from the prior week, one fewer new death this week than last week).
Texas, Statewide:
Total cases: 918,721
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 47,268
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +13,381
Fatal cases: 18,276 (+617 from the prior week, 241 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 27,607 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change); 19% more than three weeks ago (↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 6/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 8,005,112 (+472,395 from last week (↑); +1,302,006 in three weeks (↑)).
Nevada – Nevada National Security Site
Nye County:
Total confirmed cases: 682
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 81
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +49
Fatal cases: 16 (+0 from the prior week, no more new deaths this week than last).
Clark County/Las Vegas:
Total confirmed cases: 80,794
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 3,977
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +314
Fatal cases: 1,508 (+20 from the prior week, seven fewer new deaths this week than last).
Nevada, Statewide:
Total cases: 98,552
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 5,699
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +815
Fatal cases: 1,765 (+29 from the prior week, nine fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 25,927 tests per 100,000 people (3% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change); 10% more than three weeks ago (↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 7/7, lowest rate of testing among host states; no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 798,618 (+24,523 from last week (↓); +74,420 in three weeks(↑)).
Nationwide
Total cases: 8,947,980
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 536,718
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +106,390
Fatal cases: 228,677 (+5,618 from the prior week, 276 more new deaths this week than last).
