Nevada tacks on more than 300 new COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths

Nevada on Thursday reported 302 new coronavirus cases and five additional deaths, both of which were higher than recent averages.

Updated data posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 322,018 cases and 5,550 deaths since the pandemic began.

All of the deaths reported on Thursday occurred in Clark County, according to data posted to the Southern Nevada Health District’s website.

The state’s new cases were well above the moving 14-day average of daily recorded cases, which dropped to 169. Fatalities were also higher than the moving average of three deaths recorded daily over the same period.

State officials have said that due to delayed reports and redistributed data, it is normal for daily figures to be higher than the moving averages. State and county health agencies 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.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

The state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected, remained unchanged at 4.8 percent on Thursday. The rate dropped below 5 percent, which is the World Health Organization’s target to prevent spread of the disease, earlier this week for the first time in more than a month.

As of Thursday’s report, there were 295 people in Nevada hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases, six fewer than the day before, according to state data.

The health district, meanwhile, reported 278 new cases in Clark County.

Cumulative totals in the county rose to 249,573 cases and 4,375 deaths.

Clark County’s two-week test positivity rate also remained stagnant, at 4.9 percent, according to state data.

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