84 new COVID-19 cases, 6 more deaths reported in Clark County
Clark County reported 84 new COVID-19 cases and six additional deaths over the preceding day, according to data posted Thursday by the Southern Nevada Health District.
The cases brought the total for the county to 5,734 and the fatalities pushed the death toll to 320.
The district also reported 21 additional hospitalizations, substantially above the daily average of nearly eight over the preceding week. That pushed the hospitalization rate among those who have tested positive for COVID-19 slightly higher, to 21.08 percent.
Public health experts say the hospitalization rate is a better indicator of the trend of the outbreak in the county than new cases, which tend to increase as testing becomes more widely available and can fluctuate dramatically from day to day. It has been trending lower since peaking at 27.50 percent on April 10.
The number of new cases was also above the daily average of 74 over the preceding week, the district said on its coronavirus webpage.
The fatalities were above the daily average of nearly six over the period.
Of those who contracted the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the district estimates that 4,376 have recovered.
The totals announced daily do not always accurately reflect the number of cases and deaths that occurred on the preceding day, as the district often shifts cases and deaths to other dates to better reflect the trend of the outbreak in the county.
Meanwhile, new figures from the state Department of Health and Human Services showed the state recorded 89 additional cases of the disease over the preceding day, bringing the Nevada total to 7,255.
The number of deaths from COVID-19 reported by the state was increased by three to 381.
The number of cases reported by local health districts and other county agencies was higher than the state total, at 7,403. Such discrepancies are common due to differences in reporting cycles among the local agencies and the state.
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The case total compiled by the state was derived from tests of 94,382 people, resulting in an infection rate of 7.60 percent.
Like the hospitalization rate for the county, the infection rate is considered a better indicator of the trend of the outbreak in Nevada than new cases. It has been trending steadily lower since peaking at 12.66 percent on April 23.
In other developments:
— The Metropolitan Police Department said Thursday that 10 inmates in the department’s custody at the Clark County Detention Center have tested positive for COVID-19 virus. Six of those inmates have since been released from custody, while four remain at the jail, it said.
— According to data posted to Metro’s website, last updated Wednesday, 28 department employees have tested positive. A total of 231 employees have received tests, 191 of whom tested negative and 12 of whom are awaiting results.
— Public health officials in Washoe County reported 11 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, pushing the county total to 1,316. The Regional Information Center says 747 of those patients have recovered.
— Nye County officials reported one additional case of COVID-19 Thursday in a resident of Amargosa Valley. The new case raises the total in the county to 60, with 33 of those considered recovered.
— Two additional COVID-19 cases were reported this week among state Department of Corrections employees, bringing the total of employee cases to 20. The new cases were employees at the Indian Springs Southern Training Center, which now has a total of eight confirmed cases, five of whom have recovered, according to state data. Only one prisoner in the state corrections system has tested positive, according to the department.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Mike Brunker at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.
