Nevada COVID-19 metrics rebound with over 2.4K new cases, 29 deaths
Nevada reported 2,423 new coronavirus cases and 29 additional deaths Tuesday, according to state data.
The updated figures posted to the state Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought state totals to 235,455 cases and 3,235 deaths.
Both the new cases of COVID-19 and deaths were higher than the 14-day moving averages calculated by the state, which stood at 1,634 and 16, respectively.
The increased new case number came a day after a relatively low figure — 1,414 — was reported.
State COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage said at the time that tests reported from the previous day were down slightly and that tests would probably spike as people return from the holidays and settle back into their routines — a pattern the laboratories experienced after Thanksgiving. That, in turn, leads to more new cases being reported.
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Meanwhile, the state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested who are confirmed to have COVID-19, also increased by 0.2 percentage points to 20.2 percent.
The state’s hospitals saw a slight decrease in the number of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, with the total decreasing by 12 to 1,867, according to state data. Hospitalizations in Clark County, however, increased by nine to reach 1,547, the data shows.
The Nevada Hospital Association said about 71 percent of intensive care beds were occupied statewide, and about 40 percent of all ICU patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the Nevada Hospital Association.
Southern Nevada continued to experience more drastic percentages than the state as a whole, with 77 percent of all adult ICU beds occupied, and COVID-19 hospitalizations making up about 45 percent of all ICU patients.
While hospitals continue to be strained, the trade group said in an update that the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients “appears to be stabilizing.” Northern Nevada in particular is “experiencing precipitous declines,” while hospitalizations are plateauing in Southern Nevada, it said.
“Hospitals continue to report staffing shortages throughout the state,” the statement said. “Supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals remain in a good status.”
Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada
In Clark County, 2,106 new cases and 25 additional deaths were recorded over the preceding week, according to the Southern Nevada Health District’s coronavirus website. The updated figures, which also are reflected in the state reporting, brought totals for the county to 178,837 cases and 2,449 deaths.
State officials are expecting to see a surge of new cases — and ultimately in hospitalizations as well — in the days ahead as a result of increased infections generated by the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Cage, the state COVID-19 response director, said people who attended crowded New Year’s celebrations should assume they were exposed to the virus and may be spreading it to others without realizing it.
Most people who are infected by the coronavirus experience only mild to moderate symptoms — or in some cases no symptoms at all. But a small percentage of victims — particularly those with underlying health conditions and older adults — can become seriously ill and even die from the disease.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.
