Nevada reports 501 new cases of COVID-19

Nevada reported 501 new cases of COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Director Caleb Cage and Deputy Administrator of Community Health Services Julia Peek announced Friday at their daily teleconference with the media.

The state now has logged 75,096 cases and completed 967,840 molecular tests. Of the new cases reported Friday, 60.3% were in Clark County and 33.1% were in Washoe County. The state’s cumulative test positivity rate is at 10.1%, while the daily positivity rate is 8.2%.

Cage and Peek reported 461 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as of Thursday, with statewide hospital occupancy rates at 74% while intensive care units are at an occupancy rate of 61%. About 35% of the ventilators statewide are in use right now for all patients.

During the briefing, it was reported that 9% of all hospital patients and 22% of ICU patients are a result of COVID-19. In rural Nevada, those numbers are 13% of all patients and 20% of ICU patients.

Thus far, 18,423 cases have been identified as a result of contact tracing efforts statewide. This represents 24.5% of the total cases reported to date.

Since the start of COVID surge staffing on June 18, contact tracers have logged a total of 89,853 calls, and the COVID Trace app has been downloaded 32,636 times since its launch.

The federal government has deployed some rapid test machines to Nevada’s skilled nursing facilities which are required to test patients regularly. The Division of Public and Behavioral Health is assisting facilities receiving the machines with getting the proper licensing and permits in place to perform the tests onsite enabling quick results. At this time, 27 skilled nursing facilities have received the BD Veritor Plus machine, and 25 have received the Quidel Sofia II Point of care machine.

Cage and Peek said Dr. Mark Pandori, director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory, is expected to join one of next week’s briefings to speak more specifically about point of care tests and other lab services.