Weekly News From Los Alamos County
January 12, 2022
Inside this newsletter you will find...
An update from the County Manager, Atomic City Transit Update, Q&A,
Weekly Survey, COVID-19 Data, Vaccine/Booster Clinic News.
News
A message from the Los Alamos County Manager, Steven Lynne...
"These are just a few steps being taken as we continue
to address the latest spike in COVID-19 cases, and
I would ask for the community’s continued patience
and support as we work through each situation."
County Manager Steven Lynne announced today that County staff will shift to telework status where possible for the near future, due to the significant increase in COVID-19 cases and the impact on County operations.

“Our department directors have been working with our Human Resources division and the County COVID Committee to prioritize the safety of both County staff and the public, while also ensuring as minimal of an interruption to County operations and services as possible,” Lynne said, “I continue to be pleased at the responsiveness and customer service we are able to provide to the community throughout the pandemic, but we need to continue to be diligent and thoughtful as we consider the full impacts this latest spike has caused.”

Lynne said employees may be called back to work on site over the next few weeks, but in the short term the direction to employees includes:

  • Employees who have the ability to work from home (telecommute) will do so.
  • Employees providing essential services who have a job that requires them to be in the field, such as public safety or utilities’ workers, will report to work as scheduled.
  • Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have been in direct contact of a person with COVID-19 will follow the CDC and New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) guidelines for quarantine and isolation.

“I will continue to monitor the situation locally and at the State level,” he said, adding that there are still many considerations to be addressed in the interest of keeping employees and the public safe, and as new information about the Omicron variant is learned.

“I would like to highly encourage our residents to continue to follow the Governor’s public health order by always wearing a mask indoors, practicing social distancing, washing their hands regularly.” In addition, Lynne asks the public to enter County buildings only if necessary. “We have moved many of our processes on-line over the length of the pandemic and those changes have been well-received by the community. Using the website or making a phone call instead of a face-to-face visit is preferred during this time.”

The Customer Care Center will still be available to assist the public with general County inquiries and Utilities issues:

  • One lobby-facing window is open, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Callers may leave a voice mail once prompted, if the customer would prefer a call-back
  • Customers can drop payments in the outdoor drop box at the Municipal Building or mail payments to minimize contact
  • Contact info: 505-662-8333, customerCare@lacnm.ushttps://ladpu.com/Utilities-Portal

Other services and programming may be curtailed. Lynne encourages the public to call the Customer Care Center or visit the impacted services web page on the County website before visiting to confirm services, availability, and hours.

In addition to shifting staff to telework status, the County is also working to provide additional testing options within the County.

“If we can provide a daily option with a faster turn-around, we can improve our response time and minimize exposure,” said Emergency Manager, Beverley Simpson. “Additional testing options will also make it easier for community members to get tested in a timely manner.”
Are you concerned about the Omicron variant surge in COVID-19 cases?
I am concerned and changing my daily routine.
I am somewhat concerned, but not changing my daily routine.
I am not concerned.
I do not know about the Omicron variant surge.
Atomic City Transit Social Distancing

Due to the increased number of positive cases in Los Alamos and surrounding areas, Atomic City Transit (ACT) will adhere to 6-foot social distancing and limiting capacity on fixed route services beginning Thursday, Jan. 13.

To maintain employee and passenger safety ACT will continue to require that all passengers wear a face covering to board and ride the bus. ACT is implementing the following practices:

  • The number of passengers allowed on each bus will be limited to comply with 6-foot social distancing.

  • Seats on every bus will be blocked-off to assure adequate spacing between passengers again to comply with social distancing

In addition, Atomic City Transit staff continue to follow these measures to further enhance public health safety:

  • Hand sanitizer will be available on all vehicles for both customers and staff

  • All transit vehicles will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to being put into daily service, as well as high touch areas disinfected between trips, throughout the day

  • Passengers will board and depart the bus only through the back doors only (when available).

Please call ACT at (505) 661-RIDE (7433) for any additional information or use the ACTracker to locate your bus route in real-time. For the specific route service schedules, please visit the website.
Pfizer Vaccine Clinic Jan. 16 for Primary or Booster Shots

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) is administering the Pfizer vaccine – primary (1st or 2nd) and booster (3rd) shots – this Sunday, January 16, 2022 at Los Alamos High School Auxiliary Gym from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for ages 12 years and up. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome, as long as there is sufficient vaccine supply.  
 
Interested individuals can determine eligibility for the booster and resister for the clinic on the NMDOH website https://vaccinenm.org/my-registration.html using special event code: TQVZVAQ

 Appointment holders are reminded to: 
  1. Complete the online NMDOH medical questionnaire the morning of the clinic 
  2. Complete the NMDOH parental consent form printed and signed by a parent or legal guardian if the appointment is for a minor (17 years or younger) 
  3. Bring your NMDOH confirmation number (seven-digit number issued upon registration with NMDOH) 
  4. Arrive within 10 to 15 minutes of the appointment time 
  5. Bring the white CDC vaccination card 
  6. Wear a mask
Your Questions
QUESTION:

Who should be tested for COVID-19?


ANSWER:

New Mexico Department of Health recommends individuals get tested to help fight COVID-19 if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed or potentially exposed to an individual with COVID-19.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, chills, repeated shaking with chills, gastrointestinal illness and new loss of taste or smell.

Get either an at-home rapid test or PCR test if possible and stay at home until you know your test result.
  • If you test positive, follow the guidelines for a positive test result.
  • If you test negative but still have symptoms, continue to stay at home.
  • If possible, get a PCR test OR an at-home rapid test in 1-2 days.
  • If you test positive on the PCR or at-home rapid test, follow guidelines
for a COVID-positive test.
  • If you still test negative, no other test is needed at this time.
  • If you can’t get a test, but still have symptoms, assume you are positive and follow guidelines for a COVID-positive test. 

  • Results in minutes
  • If your home test is positive, no further testing is needed. You have COVID-19.

For more information about self testing visit the CDC’s page at HERE.

PCR (laboratory) tests:
  • Results in about 48 hours

For a COVID-19 test, visit:

(source NMDOH)
QUESTION:

Which COVID-19 test method is better - At-home COVID-19 test (antigen) or PCR test (laboratory)?


ANSWER:

The PCR test may be a better test from a clinical perspective — as it’s basically 100% accurate at detecting SARS-CoV-2. The rapid antigen test — approximately 87% accurate in symptomatic and 71% in asymptomatic individuals — appears to be better from a public health standpoint because of its ease of use, and the fact that it proved to have sufficient accuracy, specificity and reliability for detecting the coronavirus in a high-volume setting.

In what is believed to be the largest prospective study of its kind to date — involving some 6,000 patients seen at a field hospital set up at the Baltimore Convention Center — researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and collaborators report that a rapid antigen detection test proved more effective than expected when compared with the PCR assay. 

Have a question? Email us.
Frequently Asked Questions

NMDOH has an easy-to-use FAQs site for your reference. Find answers to questions like "What are the symptoms of COVID-19?". Click HERE for that answer and more.
COVID-19 Data Resources
CDC COVID Data Tracker - January 12, 2022

To get today's break down of positive case data, demographics information, vaccine status and more for Los Alamos County or other counties across the United States, click HERE
Additional Resources:
LAC Emergency Manager's Report to Council click HERE
Johns Hopkins
COVID-19 Status Report Dashboard for
NMDOH Epidemiology
To see additional, in depth epidemiology reports as of January 10, 2022, click HERE
Mayo Clinic - New Mexico Hot Spots

Mayo Clinic is tracking COVID-19 cases and forecasting hot spots. All data and predictions include the delta and omicron variants and other SARS-CoV-2 variants.

To see the trends and hot spots, click here: Mayo Clinic - New Mexico Hot Spots
LAPS COVID-19 Positive Reported Case Count

Cases Reported between
January 3-9
Total: 66

Cases Reported between
January 10-11
Total: 88
To learn more about reported COVID-19 cases in the individual LAPS schools, click HERE.
Vaccine/Booster Info for Los Alamos County
CDC Updates Timing for When to Get Your Booster

Studies show after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection against the virus and the ability to prevent infection with variants may decrease over time and due to changes in variants. Although COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in preventing severe disease, recent data suggest their effectiveness at preventing infection or severe illness wanes over time, especially in people ages 65 years and older.

Data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series 6 months earlier or who received a J&J/Janssen single-dose vaccine 2 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against getting infected with COVID-19. For Pfizer-BioNTech and J&J/Janssen, clinical trials also showed that a booster shot helped prevent severe disease. For more information about boosters, click HERE. (source CDC)
Los Alamos County Vaccine/Booster Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding vaccinations/boosters, click below:
Testing Resources for Los Alamos County
Los Alamos County Testing Resources
Visit the County COVID Page for information regarding testing, click below:
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