More than 500 visitors to Nevada infected with COVID-19

More than 500 visitors to Nevada have tested positive for COVID-19 since casinos reopened in June, according to newly released state data.

The Department of Health and Human services reported that as of Aug. 15, at least 530 visitors had tested positive for the novel coronavirus either while in the state or soon after returning home. The data dates back to June 1; casinos reopened June 4.

As of July 25, only 347 infected visitors had been identified, according to department data released earlier this month.

The vast majority of the visitors tested positive while they were in Nevada. The state knows of only 11 who have tested positive after they returned home, an increase of just one case since data was last released.

Nevada health officials have said they only find out about visitor cases discovered outside the state if the visitor’s home state notifies them. So far, Nevada has been notified of such cases in Arizona, California and Ohio.

Professor Samuel Scarpino, head of Northeastern University’s Emergent Epidemics Lab, has said the low number likely reflects an “antiquated” interstate disease reporting system.

“My hunch would be that those numbers are low because of reporting issues, not because they’re actually low,” he told the Review-Journal last week.

Among Nevada residents, more than 67,000 cases had been identified throughout the state’s outbreak as of Thursday.

Track the coronavirus’ impact on Nevada through data

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.