Below is the full COVID-19 report for the weekend of Oct. 1-3
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada’s test positivity rate has fallen to 8.8%, according to data released today.
That’s a big improvement over numbers from the end of last week, when the state’s test positivity rate was 10.1%.
The drop is also part of the state adjusting how it reports on testing, and more than a half-million test results reported today likely had a role in reducing the rate. Antigen test results — often called “rapid” tests or “point-of-care” tests — are now being tracked. Those tests had not previously been included in the state’s dashboard data. Previously, only molecular tests were being reported. The state is also tracking “probable” cases now on its dashboard.
Clark County’s test positivity rate fell to 6.9%, down from 7.9%.
Nevada reports 1,812 new COVID-19 cases — 1,289 in Clark County — in data released today. The county has about 69% of the state’s new cases. The state also reports 22 deaths, with 17 in Clark County.
Hospitalizations statewide dropped by 40, and now stand at 861, with 203 patients in intensive care and 130 patients on ventilators.
Nevada continues to be labeled a place with high COVID-19 transmission and Clark County remains “an area of concern,” according to an updated White House report. The county was first labeled a “sustained hot spot” on July 5.
Almost all of Nevada is labeled as a “high transmission” area. The CDC is using cases per 100,000 over the past seven days to determine high transmission.
There are 131.8 new cases reported per 100,000 every seven days in Clark County, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
A BREAKDOWN OF CASES, DEATHS AND TESTING
Nevada’s case count grew by 1,871 over the weekend , 1,289 in Clark County — 69% of the state total. The state’s total cases are now at 424,200. Clark County has a total of 322,066. It’s important to note that the state no longer updates the dashboard on the weekend or holidays, which may be why Monday and Tuesday reports show higher case and death totals.
Nevada’s test positivity rate is at 8.8%, down from 10.1% on Friday. It fell below 5.0%, the World Health Organization’s goal, on May 17 and climbed above it on June 28. Clark County’s rate has fallen to 6.9%, down from 7.9% on Friday.
Of the 22 additional COVID-19-related deaths, 17 were from Clark County. Southern Nevada now accounts for 5,677 of the state’s 7,188 deaths. The 14-day rolling average is 10 deaths per day.
As of Sept. 30, the health district reports there are 158 breakthrough deaths, 482 breakthrough hospitalizations and 10,449 breakthrough cases.
As of yesterday, a total of 4,962,531 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Nevada, with an increase of 573,062 since yesterday. The big increase is due to the state adjusting how it tracks testing. Antigen test results and probable cases are now being tracked. Those tests are often called “rapid” tests or “point-of-care” tests, and they had not previously been included in the state’s dashboard data. Previously, only molecular tests were being reported.
*NOTE: Daily lab data from DHHS and SNHD reports is updated every morning for the previous day.
TRACKING NV COUNTIES
The test positivity rate in Clark County has dropped below 8%, which takes the county off the state’s watch list for elevated transmission risk. If the county can sustain levels for test positivity and testing, state restrictions — including mask requirements — could be relaxed. A separate measure of the county’s case rate — currently 131.8 cases per 100,000 population over the past seven days — needs to drop below 50 for two straight weeks before the mask mandate can end.
July 6 was the first time since March 3 that Clark County had been flagged for elevated disease transmission (A county is flagged for elevated disease transmission if it meets two or three of the above criteria). In today’s report, Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey and Washoe counties are flagged.
Clark County’s case rate (557 per 100,000 over the past 30 days) is flagged in data reported today. Test positivity rate (6.9%) and testing (376 tests per day per 100,000) are within the state’s acceptable range.
VACCINATION UPDATE
The state’s health department reports 3,126,461 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Nevada, as of Oct. 3.
As of today, more than 54% of Nevadans currently eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated, and 62% of the eligible population has initiated vaccinations. Clark County reports that 53% of its eligible residents are fully vaccinated. These numbers were affected by a change in the state’s dashboard today.
A BREAKDOWN OF NEVADA HOSPITALIZATIONS
NOTE: The state is not updating hospitalization data on weekends or holidays.
According to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the number of hospitalized patients in Nevada was DOWN (-40) since yesterday.
The current number of hospitalizations is 861 confirmed/suspected cases. Hospitals reported 203 of those patients were in intensive care units, and 130 were on ventilators. To give some perspective, the state set a record high for hospitalized patients on Dec. 13 with 2,025 cases.
In the Nevada Hospitalization’s most recent report, a staffing alert remains statewide, placing limits on patient transfers and the ability to admit patients.
“Clark County and Northern Nevada are seeing fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations indicating that the state has peaked and has crested the current wave of illness. Rural Nevada continues to be hard hit, with most staffed rural ICU beds at 100% occupancy,” according to NHA’s report.
With rural hospitals near 100% occupancy, patients are being sent to Clark County.
“Clark County facilities also report accepting transfers from other states (Arizona, California, Idaho, Texas and Utah) as all hospitals continue experiencing staffing challenges,” NHA said.
RECOVERY CASES IN SOUTHERN NEVADA
(Updates today not yet available) The number of people who have recovered from the virus in Southern Nevada continues to increase. The latest county update estimates a total of 304,919 recovered cases; that’s 95.1% of all reported cases in the county, according to SNHD’s latest report.
The health district provides a daily map with the number of positive tests in each ZIP code in Clark County.
MITIGATION MEASURES IN NEVADA
Nevada reopened to 100% capacity on June 1 and social distancing guidelines lifted, helping the state return to mostly pre-pandemic times, with some exceptions.
The CDC reversed course on July 27, saying fully vaccinated Americans in areas with “substantial and high” transmission should wear masks indoors when in public as COVID-19 cases rise. Most of Nevada falls into those two risk categories.
Nevada said it would adopt the CDC’s guidance with the new mask guideline that went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on July 30. This overrides Clark County’s employee mask mandate, which went into effect in mid-July.
On Aug. 16, Gov. Sisolak signed a new directive that allows fully vaccinated attendees at large gatherings to remove their masks, but only if the venue chooses to require everyone in attendance to provide proof of vaccination. Those who have just one shot and are not “fully vaccinated” would still be allowed to attend, as would children under 12, but both would need to wear masks.
Masks still must be worn when required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local businesses and workplace guidance.
SEE ALSO: Previous day’s report
