Nevada sees lowest COVID-19 case gain since July 7, but deaths climb

Nevada recorded 649 new cases of COVID-19 over the preceding day — the lowest single-day increase in nearly a month — but the state death toll jumped by 28, its second-largest one-day gain of the outbreak, according to data posted Wednesday.

Figures posted by the Department of Health and Human Services on its nvhealthresponse.nv.gov website showed 52,828 cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus for the state, while the death toll climbed to 890. Reports from local health districts and counties place the number of cases somewhat higher, at 52,907 as of Wednesday evening.

The increase in cases announced by the state was the smallest since July 7, when it reported 603 new cases. Resdistribution of those cases to better reflect the onset of symptoms lowered that figure to 516, according to the state data.

New cases were well below the daily average of nearly 1,035 over the preceding week, while fatalities were well above the daily average of nearly 15 for the period.

The one-day increase in deaths Wednesday, on the other hand, was only one fewer than the record 29 announced on Friday and tied for second with July 21 and 22.

The agency also reported the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state increased by two over the preceding day to 1,148.

The state infection or positivity rate, considered a better barometer of the trend of the outbreak than the daily case and death totals, increased for the 28th straight day to 10.80 percent.

The rate, confirmed cases divided by the total number of people tested,

In a news briefing for reporters, Caleb Cage, the state’s COVID-19 response director, said the agency is continuing to work with a vendor to address a backlog in data reporting, but did not directly attribute the low case numbers announced Wednesday to the issue.

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An update from the Nevada Hospital Association trade group on Wednesday said the current number of hospitalizations “has remained relatively unchanged for the past 14 days,” but warned that some Southern Nevada facilities were “reaching capacity within the intensive care units and with all-cause hospital availability.”

“Staffing remains a concern as workforce shortages are appreciated,” it said. “Overall, the health care infrastructure in Nevada can withstand the current patient demand so long as additional adverse conditions are not present.”

The Southern Nevada Health District, meanwhile, also reported a lower-than-average daily increase in COVID-19 cases and an above-average number of deaths from the disease.

Data posted on the district’s coronavirus web page showed an increase of 566 cases and 27 deaths over the preceding day.

The new figures brought total cases in the county to 45,563 and pushed the death toll to 743.

Separately, the health district announced 71 additional hospitalizations over the preceding day.

Both the state and health district frequently redistribute cases and deaths announced on a given date in an effort to better reflect when patients became ill or when a death occurred, so daily totals frequently don’t match data used in the detailed breakdowns they provide.

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.