Nevada’s new COVID-19 cases, deaths remain well above average

Nevada on Tuesday reported 381 new coronavirus cases and nine additional deaths over the preceding day, with both new cases and fatalities remaining above the recent average, according to state data.

The updated figures posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 311,314 COVID-19 cases and 5,377 deaths.

New cases were well above the moving 14-day average of daily recorded cases, which dropped to 265. Deaths were also well above the two-week average of two daily recorded fatalities.

State public health officials say that data reported early in the work week will likely be inflated because of the decision to stop posting updates on the weekends, which began on Saturday.

Monday’s new cases also were well above the two-week moving average, though the three deaths reported were only slightly above the daily average of two fatalities.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

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 the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected, remained unchanged Tuesday at 5.9 percent. The rate had been declining since mid-January before bottoming out at 4.2 percent in late March and early April and beginning to rise.

Clark County’s positive rate remained at 5.7 percent on Tuesday, state data shows.

There were 357 people in Nevada hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday’s report, 47 fewer than the previous day.

Clark County on Tuesday reported 267 new coronavirus cases and five additional deaths, according to updated figures posted to the Southern Nevada Health District’s coronavirus website.

Cumulative totals in the county rose to 240,574 cases and 4,218 deaths.

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