Nevada reports 752 new coronavirus cases, 9 deaths

For the second day in a row, Nevada reported the highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases in the past month, although some of the new cases were again attributed to delayed reporting, health officials said.

There were 752 new cases reported on Saturday, the most since 858 were recorded on March 12, according to records maintained by the Review-Journal and data posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website. On Friday, the state recorded 637 new cases, and health officials said the high increase was partially due to backlogged reporting.

Clark County reported 700 new cases on Saturday. According to a statement from the Southern Nevada Health District, 471 of the newly reported cases “are attributed to delayed electronic laboratory reported” from before Feb. 3.

Nevada also recorded nine additional deaths on Saturday, according to state data.

Totals in the state rose to 307,704 cases and 5,332 deaths since the pandemic began. All of the deaths reported on Saturday occurred in Clark County, according to data posted to the Southern Nevada Health District’s coronavirus website.

New cases were well above the moving 14-day average of daily recorded cases, which stood at 211. Fatalities were also well above the moving two-week average of three daily recorded deaths.

Major disease metrics declined for nearly three months, but the trend lines have flattened and are showing signs of increasing, state officials have said.

State and county health agencies often redistribute the daily 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.

The state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks how many people tested for COVID-19 are infected with the virus, increased for the sixth day in a row, climbing 0.1 percentage point to 4.9 percent.

The rate had been steadily declining for nearly three months to a low of 4 percent before it started increasing on Monday.

Clark County’s positivity rate increased by 0.2 percentage point on Saturday, reaching 4.8 percent, according to state data.

Cumulative totals in the county rose to 237,737 cases and 4,178 deaths.

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