LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It’s easy to see Las Vegas is bouncing back, but many are concerned as COVID-19 cases start to climb for the first time in recent weeks.
“Good and I think bad,” Leo Basit said of our city’s recent reopening excitement. “Because we are not really out of it yet.”
Dr. Marc J. Kahn, Dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, said while our state has made great strides, there are warning signs.
“In the summer in Las Vegas, people are going to congregate together,” Dr. Kahn told 8 News Now Friday. “As this city opens, which is great to see, but again, if you’re not vaccinated, you are at risk of getting sick.”
Nevada’s positivity rate surged to 4.5% on Thursday, while our case count hit 804. These are the highest numbers we’ve seen in recent weeks, according to state and local agencies.
Dr. Kahn said getting immunized is everyone’s best bet at protection, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant making its way across America.
“Nearly all the covid deaths in the country in the past couple weeks have been from unvaccinated people,” Dr. Kahn explained. “So again, get vaccinated.”
“The concern with Delta, is that the mutation makes it more transmissible and more infectious,” Dr. Kahn added. “That is a concern, and we do have the Delta variant in our population.”
Many who spoke with 8 News Now Friday said it’s important to remember the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over. They encourage others to keep safety top of mind for themselves and everyone around them.
“I did get vaccinated,” Tania Pozo “But I still want to just be careful.”
“Get the shot,” John Tawney concluded. Get the shot to be safe.”
Dr. Kahn said it’s important to remember that even the best vaccines aren’t 100% effective, so anyone fully inoculated still has about a five percent chance of contracting COVID-19, but the virus would most likely be a mild case.
For a look at Nevada’s latest COVID-19 numbers, CLICK HERE.
