Nevada COVID-19 metrics remain high

Nevada on Friday reported 866 new coronavirus cases and six additional deaths over the preceding day, according to state data.

Updated figures posted by the Department of Health and Human Services on the state’s coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 343,096 cases and 5,758 deaths.

New COVID-19 cases remained well above the moving 14-day average of daily reported cases, which increased to 539. The average has been climbing steadily since it reached a recent low of 133 on June 10, state data shows.

Fatalities reported on Friday also remained higher than the moving two-week average of three deaths per day.

Unlike Nevada’s other major disease metrics, fatalities have remained relatively flat in recent weeks. But Thursday’s 15 reported deaths was the highest single-day increase in fatalities since April, state data shows.

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 test positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected, continued its recent climb, jumping 0.4 percentage points to 11.3 percent.

It was the first time the rate has surpassed 11 percent since mid-February, according to state data. The metric has been steadily increasing since it hit a recent low of 3.3 percent on June 9.

The number is more than double 5.0 percent, the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent the spread of the virus.

As of Friday’s report, there were 819 people in Nevada hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, an increase of 48 higher from the day prior.

State health officials say much of the recent increases in cases, hospitalizations and the positivity rate has been fueled by the more-contagious delta coronavirus variant, especially in Clark County.

In light of the rising metrics, the Southern Nevada Health District on Friday recommended that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people should resume wearing face masks in crowded indoor public places where they may have contact with people who aren’t fully vaccinated.

The health district also reported 780 new coronavirus cases and five additional deaths in Clark County, according to data posted to the health district’s coronavirus website.

Cumulative totals for the county rose to 268,514 cases and 4,563 deaths.

The district reported Thursday that it has recorded 122 cases in Clark County of people who have been hospitalized for the coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated. Of those, 18 have died. In two other instances, people who had been vaccinated died from COVID-19 without being hospitalized, the district said.

The majority of the breakthrough cases were among people 65 or older, and 84 percent of people with a breakthrough case had an underlying medical condition, according to the county data.

The county’s two-week test positivity rate also has been climbing steeply in recent weeks and jumped again Friday by 0.9 percentage points, reaching 12.7 percent.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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