Nevada reports 277 COVID-19 cases, 4 more deaths

Nevada recorded 277 new COVID-19 cases and added four deaths from the disease over the preceding day, according to state data posted Monday.

Updated figures published by the Department of Health and Human Services on its coronavirus website brought the case total for the state to 73,814 and increased the death toll to 1,456. Reports from local health districts and counties place the case total slightly higher, at 73,886 as of Monday evening.

New cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus announced by the state were barely above the daily average of just over 275 for the preceding week, while the fatalities were less than half the daily average of nine over the period.

The state’s cumulative infection or positivity rate, calculated by the Review-Journal as confirmed cases divided by the number of people tested, remained unchanged at 11.46 percent, according to the state data. (An earlier report before the state updated the number of people tested noted that the rate appeared to increase slightly, likely because of that omission.)

The rate, considered a better indicator of the trend of the outbreak than new cases or deaths figures, had fallen for three straight days before Monday’s report and has generally been headed lower since peaking at 11.63 percent on Sept. 4.

It is now aligned with the other key metrics like cases, deaths and hospitalizations in trending lower, a sign that the virus is not spreading as rapidly as it previously did.

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Testing for COVID-19 in the state has decreased in recent weeks, in part because demand from the public appears to be sagging. On Monday the state reported 5,781 tests over the preceding day, a bit below the daily average of 6,221 over the preceding week.

The Southern Nevada Health District, meanwhile, reported 162 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths in Clark County over the preceding day.

The data on the health district’s coronavirus webpage pushed the case total in the county to 62,812, while the fatalities increased the death toll to 1,262. The health district estimates that 58,063 of those who contracted the disease have recovered.

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New cases were well below the daily average of nearly 202 for the preceding week, while the fatalities were far below the daily average of nearly eight over the period.

The Clark County data is reflected in the state reporting, though not always on the same day it is reported by the county.

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.