The National Nuclear Security Administration recorded over 200 new cases of COVID-19 among its federal employees and contractors this week, and more than half those cases were still active at deadline Friday, an agency spokesperson said.
With cases of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus spiking across the county, confirmed cases at the semi-autonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency rose by 208 this week: better than a 40% jump, compared with the prior week.
Of the new cases this week, 143 were active as of Friday, a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) spokesperson at headquarters in Washington wrote in an email to Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor.
The nation’s nuclear weapons steward has now recorded 1,438 cases of COVID-19 since the first confirmed U.S. case in January. Of the known cases among NNSA employees, three were fatal.
The NNSA shares only the number of confirmed positive cases, not the overall effect on agency and vendor productivity attributed in some way to the highly contagious, and sometimes fatal, disease.
COVID-19 is spreading quick as lightning in November, and every NNSA host locale — minus the Amarillo, Texas, area that reached the latest pandemic peak early — recorded more confirmed new infections this week than last week.
New Mexico has it especially bad, with Bernalillo county near Albuquerque posting over 1,000 more new cases this week than last week. The new-case rate also surged in and around Los Alamos, with the adjacent communities of Santa Fe and Sandoval County leading the spike.
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: 74 (+2). Livermore is the only lab that does not test its own employees.
Los Alamos National Laboratory:
Cases: 165 (+42)
Internal tests: 8,616 (+501; a lab spokesperson said Friday these on-site tests have resulted in 44 positive results).
Teleworking: Roughly 55% of all employees.
Sandia National Laboratories:
Cases: 191 (+36)
Albuquerque: 177 (+36)
Livermore: 14 (+0)
Internal tests: 3,994 (+217)
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: 18,068
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,909
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +333
Fatal cases: 241 (+17 from the prior week, seven fewer new deaths this week than last).
Missouri, Statewide:
Total cases: 229,712
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 29,670
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +7,335
Fatal cases: 3,351 (+234 from the prior week, eight more new deaths this week than last week).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 44,431 tests per 100,000 people (4% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↓), 16% more than three weeks ago(↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 5/7 — -1, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 2,726,936 (+101,966 from last week (↓); +380,446 in three weeks (↓)).
New Mexico – NNSA Albuquerque, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Bernalillo County/Albuquerque:
Total confirmed cases: 15,548
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 2,720
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,008
Fatal cases: 249 (+24 from the prior week, same number of new deaths this week as last week).
Los Alamos:
Total confirmed cases: 82
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 22
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +10
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: 721/2,788/2,834/406 – 6,749 for the group
Cumulative week-to-week increase for group: 1,434
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week, for group: +708
Fatal cases for group: 104 (+13 from the prior week, for group; six more new deaths this week than last, for group).
New Mexico, Statewide:
Total cases: 60,776
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 9,666
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +3,460
Fatal cases: 1,176 (+94 from the prior week, 6 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 62,820 tests per 100,000 people (8% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑), 22% 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 ↓): 1,317,248 (+98,443 from last week(↑); +239,161in three weeks (↑)).
Tennessee – Y-12 National Security Complex
Anderson County:
Total confirmed cases: 2,227
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 268
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +122
Fatal cases: 19 (+1 from the prior week, three fewer new deaths this week than last week).
Tennessee, Statewide:
Total cases: 296,725
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 24,954
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +10,063
Fatal cases: 3,788 (+279 from the prior week, 33 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 58,513 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑), 16% more than three weeks ago (no change)). 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 ↓): 3,995,978 (+215,846 from last week (↑); +559,644 in three weeks (↑)).
California – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (and Sandia’s California campus)
Alameda County (Including Livermore, Calif.):
Total confirmed cases: 25,400
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,030
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +296
Fatal cases: 486 (+21 from the prior week, 19 more new deaths this week than last).
San Jaoquin County (near Alameda County):
Total confirmed cases: 23,224
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 668
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +106
Fatal cases: 500 (+6 from the prior week, four more new deaths this week than last).
California, Statewide:
Total cases: 1,006,195
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 47,972
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +14,115
Fatal cases: 18,141 (+269 from the prior week, 30 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 51,482 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑), 17% more than three weeks ago (no change)). 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 ↓): 20,342,072 (+1,075,709 from last week (↑); +2,983,302 in three weeks(↑)).
South Carolina – Savannah River Site
Aiken County:
Total confirmed cases: 5,534
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 253
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +23
Fatal cases: 91 (+2 from the prior week, same number of new deaths this week as last week).
Savannah River Site:
Total confirmed cases: 686
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 47
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +27
Fatal cases: 1 (no change; not an NNSA employee).
Active cases: 68
South Carolina, Statewide:
Total cases: 190,490
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 8,851
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,803
Fatal cases: 4,084 (+92 from the prior week, 11 fewer new deaths this week than last week).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 39,251 tests per 100,000 people (8% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑); 23% 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 ↓): 2,020,945 (+147,660 from last week (↑); +371,594 in three weeks (↑)).
Texas – Pantex Plant
Potter County:
Total confirmed cases: 10,268
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,042
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -88
Fatal cases: 129 (+12 from the prior week, five fewer new deaths this week than last).
Randall County:
Total confirmed cases: 7,882
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,167
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -221
Fatal cases: 77 (+14 from the prior week, 10 more new deaths this week than last week).
Texas, Statewide:
Total cases: 1,024,073
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 54,583
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +3,814
Fatal cases: 19,474 (+567 from the prior week, 64 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 31,153 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change); 20% more than three weeks ago (↑)). Rank among NNSA host states: 7/7 (lowest 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 ↓): 9,033,217 (+549,489 from last week (↑); +1,500,500 in three weeks (↑)).
Nevada – Nevada National Security Site
Nye County:
Total confirmed cases: 941
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 188
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +117
Fatal cases: 18 (+1 from the prior week, same number of new deaths this week as last week).
Clark County/Las Vegas:
Total confirmed cases: 91,859
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 6,218
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,371
Fatal cases: 1,593 (+42 from the prior week, one fewer new death this week than last).
Nevada, Statewide:
Total cases: 114,880
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 9,520
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +2,712
Fatal cases: 1,880 (+56 from the prior week, three fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 44,662 tests per 100,000 people (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↑); 78% more than three weeks ago (↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 5/7 +2 compared with last week. Last week, Nevada sharply increased the number of tests performed in the state, accounting for the week-to-week drop in the number of new tests performed.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 1,375,669 (+76,548 from last week (↓); +601,574 in three weeks(↑)).
Nationwide
Total cases: 10,557,551
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 946,258
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +282,945
Fatal cases: 242,436 (+7,487 from the prior week, 1,215 more new deaths this week than last).
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 158,066,575 (+5,559,462 from last week (↓).
