Nevada’s coronavirus positivity rate continues to creep higher

For the fourth day in a row, Nevada’s two-week coronavirus positivity rate increased, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The positivity rate, which essentially tracks how many people tested for COVID-19 are infected with the virus, increased by 0.2 percentage points to 4.7 percent, according to data posted to the state’s coronavirus website. 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 two-week positivity rate also increased by 0.2 percentage points, reaching 4.5 percent.

The state also recorded 386 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, along with five additional deaths. Totals in the state rose to 306,315 cases and 5,313 deaths since the pandemic began.

The new cases reported Thursday remained well above the moving two-week average of daily recorded cases, which remained at 203. Deaths were slightly above the moving two-week average of three daily recorded fatalities.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

Along with the positivity rate, both new cases and deaths had been declining steadily since at least mid-January along with other disease metrics, although state officials noted last week that the downward trend appeared to be flattening.

Caleb Cage, the state’s COVID-19 response director, said Wednesday that new cases are trending slightly upward, but it is “not unusual or out of line from what we have seen previously as we have loosened restrictions.”

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.

There were 341 people in Nevada hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday’s report, which is 25 more than the previous day, according to state data.

Clark County reported 353 new coronavirus cases and four additional deaths, according to updated figures posted to the Southern Nevada Health District’s coronavirus website.

Cumulative totals for the county rose to 236,483 cases and 4,161 deaths.

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