Nevada records over 400 new COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day

For the second day in a row, Nevada recorded more than 400 new cases of the coronavirus, as Clark County saw similar numbers, marking another day of increased infections.

The 445 new cases in the state set a record one-day increase, overtaking the increase of 410 new cases reported Friday by the Department of Health and Human Services. Friday and Saturday also marked the first two days that more than 400 cases were reported in the state.

Data from the Southern Nevada Health District showed 10,259 cases of the virus in the county, an increase of 407 from Friday. Seven additional deaths raised the total number of fatalities to 397.

Eight additional deaths were reported in the state, bringing the total to 486. Data from the state Department of Health and Human Services shows 12,931 total cases, although a separate count from individual counties shows a total of 12,983 cases. There have been an estimated 9,241 recoveries in the state.

The health district often redistributes cases and deaths after they are reported to other dates to better reflect when the onset of symptoms began, so the detailed breakdowns often don’t match the total cases and deaths announced daily.

The infection rate increased from 5.41 percent on Friday to 5.42 percent Saturday, as more than 238,000 people in Nevada have been tested.

The rate, the number of positive cases divided by the number of people tested, had been trending downward for two months before bottoming out over the last 12 days and registering several small daily upticks. Friday’s increase of 0.18 percentage points was the biggest jump seen so far since the rate appeared to bottom out.

Testing availability in Nevada has increased dramatically since mid-May, and the increased availability of tests likely plays a role in the new cases.

In a statement Friday, the health district said its public health experts expected an increase in cases as businesses reopened because of the increased interactions and exposure of community members, in addition to more testing availability.

“We do believe that we are seeing a sustained increase in disease transmission in our community, which can’t be explained only by the increased level of community testing,” it said. “We want to remind people about the importance of wearing cloth face coverings and social distancing when they go out to reduce the risks of spreading COVID-19. We are continuing to look at the number of hospitalizations and deaths as a way to measure what is happening in the community.”

Clark County has also reported an additional 19 people who have been hospitalized for coronavirus. Hospital beds in Southern Nevada, including those in intensive care units, remained well below capacity, the Nevada Hospital Association reported this week.

Data from the county health district shows an estimated 7,452 people have recovered.

In another development, the Metropolitan Police Department’s website, which was last updated Friday, showed 43 employees who have tested positive for the virus. The department has 319 employees who have received a test, 266 of whom tested negative, and 10 of whom are awaiting results.

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