As with the whole country, COVID-19 hit the National Nuclear Security Administration hard this week, when the agency recorded more than 100 new cases, a spokesperson said.
For the week ended Friday, 73 contractor and federal employees recovered from their bouts with the disease caused by the novel coronavirus — but the 107 new cases made for a third consecutive week in which new confirmed infections outpaced the rate at which people got well, an agency spokesperson said.
Overall, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has confirmed 1,008 cases of COVID-19 among its national workforce. The agency discloses only confirmed infections and recoveries, not the lost productivity caused by the disease that emerged in China last year, or its effect on the stockpile steward’s vendor base.
It’s been a bad few weeks for COVID-19 in the U.S., and this week, the nationwide spike in new cases manifested itself in nearly every NNSA host state. Of the seven states with major NNSA facilities, only Missouri had fewer new cases this week than last.
New Mexico in particular took a beating. The Land of Enchantment’s population ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states, yet as of Friday, the weekly rate of growth in new COVID-19 cases was almost half of what California, the most populous state, posted in roughly the same period.
At the local level, if an NNSA host county or city didn’t see an increase in the rate of new cases and COVID-19 fatalities this week, they did in recent weeks.
Case in point, the counties surrounding the NNSA’s Pantex Plant in the Texas panhandle, and the city of Aiken, S.C. near the Savannah River Site all posted small declines in the rate of new cases after climbing the curve quicker in this early-Autumn spike than most other areas that host nuclear-weapons facilities.
Nationally, there were over 60,000 more new cases of COVID-19 this week than last week, with more than 450 new deaths than there were in the prior week. The first couple months of fall are quickly starting to resemble the first couple months of summer, when U.S. cases were on their way to an eventual July peak.
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 reported Friday by the labs.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory:
Cases: 62 (+1). Livermore is the only lab that does not test its own employees. A spokesperson for the lab said that all of these people have recovered from their bouts with COVID-19.
Los Alamos National Laboratory:
Cases: 80 (+11)
Internal tests: 7,194 (+494)
Teleworking: Roughly 55% of all employees.
Sandia National Laboratories:
Cases: 112 (+12)
Albuquerque: 99 (+12)
Livermore: 13 (+0)
Internal tests: 3,316 (+210)
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 and counties 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: 13,904
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 803
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +325
Fatal cases: 177 (+19 from the prior week, 10 more new deaths this week than last).
Missouri, Statewide:
Total cases: 165,210
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 12,548
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -1,127
Fatal cases: 2,665 (+205 from the prior week, 13 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 38,232 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: 4/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 2,346,490 (+123,636 from last week (↓); +1,031,072 in three weeks (↑)).
New Mexico – NNSA Albuquerque, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Bernalillo County/Albuquerque:
Total confirmed cases: 9,685
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 1,257
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +115
Fatal cases: 189 (+5 from the prior week, one more new death this week than last).
Los Alamos:
Total confirmed cases: 40
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 3
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +2
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: 464/1,825/1,491/182 – 3,498 for the group
Cumulative week-to-week increase for group: 438
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week, for group: +128
Fatal cases for group: 62 (+7 from the prior week, for group; five more new deaths this week than last, for group).
New Mexico, Statewide:
Total cases: 39,377
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 4,419
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,217
Fatal cases: 953 (+31 from the prior week, eight more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): (tests per 100,000 people): 51,415 (6% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (no change), 17% 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 ↓): 1,078,087 (+59,058 from last week(↑); +157,078 in three weeks (↑)).
Tennessee – Y-12 National Security Complex
Anderson County:
Total confirmed cases: 1,611
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 125
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -11
Fatal cases: 14 (+1 from the prior week, one more new death this week than last week).
Tennessee, Statewide:
Total cases: 237,907
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 15,080
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +1,700
Fatal cases: 3,011 (+147 from the prior week, 12 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 50,318 (5% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↓), 18% more than three weeks ago). 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 ↓): 3,436,334 (+167,671 from last week (↓); +533,602 in three weeks (↑)).
California – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (and Sandia’s California campus)
Alameda County (Including Livermore, Calif.):
Total confirmed cases: 23,001
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 631
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +199
Fatal cases: 456 (+14 from the prior week, 12 fewer new deaths this week than last).
San Jaoquin County (near Alameda County):
Total confirmed cases: 21,528
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 390
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +80
Fatal cases: 488 (+5 from the prior week, five fewer new deaths this week than last).
California, Statewide:
Total cases: 894,002
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 25,279
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +2,572
Fatal cases: 17,266 (+426 from the prior week, 22 more new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 43,932 (5% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↓), 18% 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 ↓): 17,358,770 (+840,958 from last week (↓); +2,586,919 in three weeks(↑)).
South Carolina – Savannah River Site
Aiken County:
Total confirmed cases: 4,864
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 181
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -40
Fatal cases: 86 (+1 from the prior week, one more new death this week than last).
Savannah River Site:
Total confirmed cases: 609
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 18
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -4
Fatal cases: 1 (no change).
Active cases: 31.
South Carolina, Statewide:
Total cases: 167,485
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 6,379
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +28
Fatal cases: 3,755 (+148 from the prior week, 55 more new deaths this week than last week).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 32,034 tests per 100,000 people (7% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↓); 25% 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 ↓): 1,649,351 (+102,743 from last week (↓); +332,897 in three weeks (↓)).
Texas – Pantex Plant
Potter County:
Total confirmed cases: 7,540
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 519
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -2
Fatal cases: 98 (+13 from the prior week, four more new deaths this week than last).
Randall County:
Total confirmed cases: 4,762
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 574
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -39
Fatal cases: 56 (+4 from the prior week, same amount of new deaths this week as last week).
Texas, Statewide:
Total cases: 871,453
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 33,887
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +4,127
Fatal cases: 17,659 (+376 from the prior week, 140 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 25,978 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: 6/7 — no change, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 7,532,717 (+420,827 from last week (↑); +1,250,388 in three weeks (↓)).
Nevada – Nevada National Security Site
Nye County:
Total confirmed cases: 601
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 32
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: -10
Fatal cases: 16 (+0 from the prior week, one fewer new death this week than last).
Clark County/Las Vegas:
Total confirmed cases: 76,817
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 3,663
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +630
Fatal cases: 1,488 (+27 from the prior week, three fewer new deaths this week than last).
Nevada, Statewide:
Total cases: 92,853
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 4,884
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +742
Fatal cases: 1,736 (+38 from the prior week, 11 fewer new deaths this week than last).
Testing rate and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 24,286 tests per 100,000 people (3% more people tested per 100,000 this week than last (↓); 11% more than three weeks ago (↓)). Rank among NNSA host states: 7/7 — -1, compared with last week.
Cumulative tests performed as of this week, and trend versus last week (↑ or ↓): 774,095 (+26,022 from last week (↑); +72,538 in three weeks(↓)).
Nationwide
Total cases: 8,411,262
Cumulative week-to-week increase: 430,328
Growth (+), or decline (-), in new confirmed cases, compared with prior week: +61,166
Fatal cases: 223,059 (+5,342 from the prior week, 465 more new deaths this week than last).
