Nevada adds nearly 2.6K new COVID-19 cases, 46 deaths

Nevada on Tuesday reported 2,593 new coronavirus cases and 46 additional deaths over the preceding day.

Updated figures posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 252,842 COVID-19 cases and 3,546 deaths from the disease.

The moving 14-day average of daily reported cases decreased on Tuesday, dipping from 2,053 to 1,837, state data shows. The two-week average of daily deaths remained at 19.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

The state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested who are diagnosed with the disease, reached 21.3 percent, a 0.2-percentage-point increase from the previous day.

The rate has been climbing since the beginning of the month and is approaching the high mark of 21.7 percent reported on Dec. 15.

The number of people in Nevada hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases increased by 50 on Tuesday, reaching 1,827, the data show.

The Nevada Hospital Association on Tuesday said the effects of the holiday season on hospitalizations may not be “fully realized” for several weeks.

“The use of nonpharmaceutical interventions, such as the statewide ‘pause,’ appear to have successfully arrested the increasing trajectory of hospitalizations,” the association said. “However, due to the holiday season and other socialization causes, these efforts have experienced significant counter-pressures.”

Some medical facilities, especially in Southern Nevada, continue to be strained due to “elevated hospital admissions and ICU admissions,” the association said. While multiple facilities are reporting “staffing challenges,” hospital employees have started receiving their second dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

Throughout Nevada, intensive care units are at about 73 percent capacity, while ICU beds in Southern Nevada are about 80 percent full, according to the trade group.

About one-third of all people currently hospitalized in Nevada have COVID-19, while about 40 percent of all ICU beds are filled with coronavirus patients, the association said. About 25 percent of all ventilators in Nevada are currently being used for COVID-19 patients.

There were 2,320 new COVID-19 cases reported in Clark County on Tuesday, along with 37 additional deaths, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. The updated figures posted to the county’s coronavirus website pushed the cumulative totals to 193,483 cases and 2,674 deaths.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.