Nevada registers 727 new COVID-19 cases, 6 additional deaths

Nevada recorded below-average increases in COVID-19 cases and fatalities over the preceding day, and hospitalizations for the disease remained below recent record levels, according to state data posted Monday.

The new data published by the state Department of Health and Human Services on its nvhealthresponse.nv.gov website showed 727 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the case total to 56,972. Reports from local health districts and counties placed the total somewhat higher, at 57,016 as of Monday evening.

The state also reported six additional fatalities from the disease caused by the new coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 963.

New cases were below the daily average of nearly 861 over the preceding week, while fatalities were well below the daily average of nearly 18 over the period.

The state infection or positivity rate, which experts say provides a better picture of the trend of the outbreak than new cases and death reports, logged its fourth straight daily increase to reach 10.91 percent.

The rate, confirmed cases divided by the number of people tested, has been rising steadily since bottoming out on June 17 at 5.20 percent, indicating that a higher proportion of those being tested have been infected.

The number of hospitalizations of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients increased by 13 over the preceding day to 1,014, according to the data. But hospitalizations, which had been hovering in a range of between 1,160 and 1,100 for about two weeks, are down over the past five days, it showed.

The Nevada Hospital Association noted what it called “a significant drop in the numbers of hospitalized patients.”

“Intensive care utilization and therapies are also declining,” it said in an update.

The trade group said 79 percent of licensed hospital beds in Southern Nevada were in use, as were 74 percent of intensive care unit beds. It noted, however, that “a few facilities in Clark County have significantly higher occupancy rates.”

Interactive: Tracking the coronavirus’ impact on Nevada through data

Clark County, meanwhile, recorded 686 additional COVID-19 cases and four deaths, according to information posted by the Southern Nevada Health District.

New figures posted on the district’s coronavirus web page brought the case total for the county to 49,151 and the death toll to 811. Those figures also are reflected in the state data.

The district estimates that 41,366 of those who contracted the disease have recovered.

New cases were below the daily average of nearly 760 for the preceding week, while the fatalities were far below the daily average of nearly 17 over the period.

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