Nevada COVID metrics remain in recent average range

Nevada on Wednesday reported 363 new COVID-19 cases and four new deaths from the disease over the preceding day.

Updated figures posted by the Department of Health and Human Services on the state’s coronavirus website raised the state case total to 328,194 and pushed the death toll to 5,635.

New cases remained well above the moving 14-day average of daily reported cases, which declined slightly to 126. Deaths, all of which were recorded in Clark County, also were higher than the moving average of two fatalities daily over the same time period.

State officials have said that it is normal for daily figures to be higher than the moving averages due to delayed reports and redistributed data.

The state’s test positivity rate, which essentially measures the percentage of people tested who were found to be infected with the virus, remained unchanged at 3.5 percent.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

Hospitalizations for confirmed and suspected cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus in the state stood at 251, a low level compared to highs that briefly topped 2,000 in December.

The Southern Nevada Health District, meanwhile, reported 329 new COVID-19 cases in Clark County.

The update pushed cumulative totals for the county to 254,912 cases and 4,452 deaths.

The county’s test positivity rate also remained steady at 3.5 percent, according to state data.

State and county health agencies redistribute the 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.

Contact Mike Brunker at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.