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More than 700 visitors to Nevada infected with COVID since reopening

More than 700 visitors to Nevada have tested positive for COVID-19 since casinos reopened in June, according to newly released state data.

The Department of Health and Human services reported that as of Oct. 3, at least 712 visitors had tested positive for the novel coronavirus either while in the state or soon after returning home. The data dates back to June 1; casinos reopened June 4.

Related: Nevada logs 1,322 new coronavirus cases, 7 more deaths

Southern Nevada alone has seen more than 5.7 million visitors since June, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reports.

Until now, the state-released visitor data ran through only mid-August. At that time at least 530 visitors had tested positive for COVID-19.

The vast majority of the visitors tested positive while they were in Nevada. As of Oct. 3, the state knows of only 21 who have tested positive after they returned home, an increase of 10 cases since data was last released.

Nevada health officials have said they only find out about visitor cases discovered outside the state if the visitor’s home state notifies them. So far, Nevada has been notified of such cases in Arizona, California and Ohio.

Among Nevada residents, more than 110,000 cases had been identified throughout the state’s outbreak as of Monday.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.

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