Nevada’s COVID-19 death toll hits 85 as state caseload climbs to 2,456

There was a discrepancy in new data posted late in evening on the state Department of Health and Human Services’ nvhealthresponse.nv.gov website, which showed the death toll increasing to 85 and 86 in different presentations. Whatever the correct number, it was an increase in the toll of 81 announced late Wednesday by Gov. Steve Sisolak.

The new report came late on a day when the Southern Nevada and Washoe County health districts reported eight new cases between them. Some of those cases were apparently included in the figure cited by the governor, while others were not.

The six new deaths reported by the Southern Nevada Health District brought the number of COVID-19 fatalities in Clark County to 71. This district also reported that the number of confirmed cases in the county had increased by 131 overnight to 2,009.

The Washoe County Health District later reported two additional deaths there, raising the death toll in the county to 10.

It’s not possible to directly correlate the local figures with the state report, which doesn’t specify in which jurisdiction the deaths occurred.

The district said the latest victims were a woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions and a man in his 50s with an underlying health condition.

It also reported 37 new confirmed cases of the disease, bringing the county total to 363.

The state also reported the number of COVID-19 cases in Nevada increased by 138 confirmed cases overnight, increasing the state caseload to 2,456.

The case total was derived from tests on 21,771 people, representing an infection rate of just over 11 percent. That figure is likely inflated, however, as the vast majority of those tested were either seriously ill or had been in close contact with a previously diagnosed patient.

In other developments:

* The Quad-County Emergency Operations Center, which covers Carson City and Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties, reported four new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. It said the cases were a Lyon County woman in her 20s; a Carson City woman in her 40s; a Lyon County man in his 30s; and a Carson City man in his 70s. The center said all four were self-isolating at home and were in stable condition. The total of confirmed cases in the region climbed to 31.

* The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System reported late Wednesday that 15 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-March. The VA hospital in North Las Vegas said that none of the workers is hospitalized and some are being cleared to return to work. It also said that investigations determined many of the cases were contracted from the community rather than through direct patient care.

* A worker at a Goodwill store in Las Vegas has tested positive for the disease, the nonprofit said Thursday. Goodwill of Southern Nevada said the worker was exposed outside the job and was self-quarantined. It said the store where the employee was assigned, at Rainbow Boulevard and Alta Drive, had been closed and would be sanitized before reopening. Other workers were self-isolating “out of an abundance of caution,” it said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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