Both Clark County and the state of Nevada set new records for reported COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period on Thursday, with the former announcing 1,315 new cases and the state adding 1,447 cases.
The new highs came when Nevada was reported to be in a coronavirus “red zone” in an internal document prepared for the White House coronavirus task force. The nonprofit Center for Public Integrity report said the state was listed because it had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents last week and more than 10 percent of its diagnostic test results tested positive.
Nevada’s inclusion in the coronavirus “red zone” in the task force document suggests that the state should take more stringent protection measures again, some of which are already in place in the state. Among the steps cited in the article were limiting social gatherings to 10 or less, closing bars and gyms, and asking residents to wear masks at all times.
The Southern Nevada Health District announced the new total of cases for Clark County and five additional deaths on its coronavirus website. The new figures brought the total number of cases for the county to 26,926 and increased the death toll to 507. The district estimates 18,447 of those who contracted the virus caused by the new coronavirus.
New cases were well above the daily average of just over 783 in the prior week, while deaths were slightly below the daily average of just under six for the period.
The district also reported 28 new hospitalizations the previous day, slightly above the daily average of just over 24 during the previous week.
Meanwhile, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported its new figures on its website nvhealthresponse.nv.gov, increasing Nevada’s total cases to 31,915 and increasing the death toll to 626.
New cases were well above the daily average of 881 during the previous week, while deaths were slightly below the daily average of just over nine for the period.
Interactive: monitoring the impact of the coronavirus in Nevada through data
The state also reported that 806 people with confirmed COVID-19 infections and 245 suspected cases were hospitalized in the state, for a total of 1,051.
The state infection rate or positivity, which public health experts say is a better barometer of the outbreak trend in Nevada, registered its eighth consecutive daily increase to reach 8.64 percent.
The rate, the number of confirmed cases divided by the number of people tested, decreased for more than two months before reaching a low of 5.20 percent on June 17. It has increased every day except one since then.
Caleb Cage, the director of the state’s COVID-19 response, said at a press conference that the state is still seeing the consequences of the July 4 holiday.
“This is something we anticipate because we know that July 4 is the time to get together and celebrate,” he said. “And although there are directives for social distancing and a global pandemic, we knew that, just like after other vacations, the number of cases would probably increase. So are we concerned? Absolutely.
“And we want to express to others that they should be concerned at least to the point of taking this virus very seriously. Taking directives very seriously. This is not something we are imposing on a whim. … This is something that is killing … hundreds of thousands of people around the world. And it’s affecting our ability to manage our hospital living space here in the state. ”
The Center for Public Integrity report, meanwhile, said Nevada was one of nine states that were cited in the White House task force document for failing to meet new cases and evidence thresholds. The others were Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Nine other states failed to meet the new case standard alone, and two others failed to meet the test mark.
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak last week re-imposed restrictions on bars and restaurants to address an increase in cases, including the closure of non-food bars in counties considered hotspots, including Clark County.
The governor also issued a directive last month that requires people to wear face masks in almost all public spaces to help contain the spread of the disease.
His directive also limits public and private meetings to 50 people or less, but reduces that number to 10 in “circumstances that do not allow proper physical distance.”
The Center for Public Integrity said the report was prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force and had been distributed within the federal government but had not been released. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the document, he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
An earlier version of this article had an incorrect date for the low point in the state infection rate.
Contact Mike Brunker at [email protected] or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter. Review-Journal Editor Mary Hynes contributed to this report.
Nevada Report on the White House Coronavirus by Las Vegas Review-Journal on Scribd
