2 new COVID-19 deaths in Clark County

Two more patients in Clark County with COVID-19 have died, bringing the number of deaths in the state and in Nevada’s most populous county to four, the Southern Nevada Health District said on Monday.

Clark County cases confirmed through testing also have climbed to 212, up from 126 on Friday. Of these, 44, or almost 21 percent, have required hospitalization.

The deceased were a woman in her 70s and a man in his 60s, both with underlying medical conditions, according to the health district.

“We are saddened to report that two more people with coronavirus disease have died in our community,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, acting chief health officer.

The previous two deaths in the county were of a man and a woman in their 60s with other medical issues. Older adults and those with underlying medical conditions are at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill from the new coronavirus, public health authorities have said. Most people who contract the illness experience milder symptoms such as a fever, cough and shortness of breath, though some individuals will develop pneumonia.

The Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory continues to receive limited testing resources and is providing testing primarily in support of health district investigations into contacts of confirmed cases. The district noted that as more tests are done, more positive results will be reported

“While the increase in positive case reports may cause concern for the public, it allows the health district to better investigate cases, advise patient contacts, and serves as reinforcement for the public about the importance of ‘staying home for Nevada,’” the district said in a statement.

The state of Nevada on Monday reported 55 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total in the state to 245. However, reporting from individual health districts and counties puts the state total at 263.

Those figures are presumed to include the new Clark County figures, though it was not immediately possible to confirm that.

This means of the 3,735 people tested by public and private labs in Nevada, 6.5 percent have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

It was not immediately clear where in the state the new cases were reported.

One case also was confirmed early Monday in a Douglas County resident.

The case involved a female Douglas County resident in her 70s with no underlying health conditions, according to the Carson City Health and Human Services department, which covers the Quad County region of Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties. She became symptomatic after having an out-of-state visitor.

The woman is the fourth case reported by Carson City authorities.

On Monday night, Wahoe County reported 19 new cases, for a total of 44. Cases also have been reported by Elko and Nye counties.

Contact Mary Hynes at mhynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @MaryHynes1 on Twitter.