Nevada tops 300K COVID cases as positivity rate nears WHO target

A little more than a year since the first coronavirus case was reported in Nevada, the state surpassed 300,000 total cases on Wednesday.

Nevada on Wednesday reported 301 new coronavirus cases and 12 additional deaths over the preceding day, with both metrics remaining above recent averages for the second day in a row, according to state data.

Updated figures posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 300,118 cases of COVID-19 and 5,135 deaths from the disease.

Nevada’s new cases were well above the moving 14-day average of daily reported cases of 209. Fatalities were also well above the moving two-week average of five deaths per day, the state data showed.

Despite the recent above-average daily reports, all major disease metrics have been declining in the state since mid-January or earlier, health officials have said.

State and county health agencies often redistribute data after it is reported to better reflect the date of death or onset of symptoms, which is why the moving-average trend lines frequently differ from daily reports and are considered better indicators of the direction of the outbreak.

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The state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are confirmed to be infected, decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.3 percent. That’s close to the 5 percent rate that the World Health Organization says governments should hit for 14 straight days before beginning to reopen.

The data also showed 318 people in Nevada were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, which is 18 more than the previous day. The figure peaked at 2,126 on Dec. 22, according to state data.

Meanwhile in Clark County, there were 236 new cases and 11 new deaths reported on Wednesday. Cumulative totals for the county rose to 231,946 cases and 4,032 deaths, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.

The county’s two-week positivity rate also dropped by 0.2 percentage points on Wednesday, reaching 5.6 percent, state data shows. The rate is 0.3 percentage points higher than the state’s average.

The Clark County figures are included in the state totals.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.