State leaders give COVID-19 update

Nevada’s cases of COVID-19 increased by 409 Monday, bringing the state’s total to 66,010, Gov. Steve Sisolak, COVID-19 Response Director Caleb Cage and Deputy Administrator of Community Health Services Julia peek said during a teleconference with the media.

There also were three new deaths.

Of the new cases, 81.2% were in Clark County and 13.5% were in Washoe County.

Nevada has completed 814,793 molecular tests since the pandemic began, an increase of 5,110 since Sunday. The cumulative test positivity rate is 10.6%, while the daily positivity rate is 11.4%.

For the most recent seven-day period, cases are growing by 578 per day compared to 1,037 new cases for the period ending July 31. A total of 12,173 cases have been identified by contact tracing, representing 18.4% of the cases reported.

Hospital occupancy rates are 73%, while intensive care unit occupancy is 63%. About 35% of ventilators statewide are in use.

The new COVID Trace Nevada smartphone app launched Monday and is available for immediate download and use. The app is a collaboration between the private sector through the COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force and the public sector through the Division of Public and Behavioral Health.

The app, which is free to all Nevadans and visitors, provides and additional tool to help supplement Nevada’s contact tracing efforts. The use of the app is completely voluntary and requires a user opt-in, and it creates a secure environment that protects people’s privacy and alerts those that might have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The task force and DPBH will work to help educate businesses, residents and visitors on the new tool. For more information on COVID Trace, visit https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/covidtrace.