3 of Clark County’s 4 key COVID-19 metrics climb over weekend

Clark County on Monday reported 1,087 new COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths over the preceding three days, as three of its four key metrics for the disease registered slight gains.

Updated figures for Friday through Sunday posted online by the Southern Nevada Health District pushed totals for the county to 338,166 cases of the disease and 6,073 deaths.

New cases were above the county’s 14-day moving average of 334 cases per day, while the longer-term measure was down by one from Friday’s report. Fatalities were double the average of four per day for the period, while the average opened the week one death higher than on Friday, state data show.

State and county health agencies often redistribute 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.

The county’s test positivity rate, which tracks the percentage of people tested for the disease who are found to be infected, continued its recent climb, rising by 0.2 percentage points to 6.8 percent. The rate has risen a full percentage point from its recent low of 5.8 percent on Nov. 1.

Hospitalizations of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients stood at 559 in Monday’s report, seven more than on Friday.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

Three of the four key disease metrics in the county have been rising since the beginning of the month, with only deaths bucking the upward trend. Local and state public health officials have not yet characterized the increases as a new COVID-19 surge, but some have expressed concern that the arrival of cooler fall weather could increase transmission of the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

The state Department of Health and Human Services, meanwhile, reported 1,585 new COVID-19 cases and 36 deaths over the preceding day.

Updated figures posted on the state coronavirus page pushed totals to 449,331 cases and 7,844 deaths.

Divided by three, the daily figure of just over 528 per day was slightly above the two-week moving average of 509 per day. The latter figure was up by four cases per day from Friday’s report.

Fatalities were were well above the two-week moving average of seven per day when divided by three, while the longer term gauge rose by one from six on Friday.

The state also reported 727 hospitalizations of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients, 16 fewer than on Friday.

Nevada’s test positivity rate, mirrored the increase in Clark County, rising by 0.2 percentage points from Friday to 7.6 percent.

The percentage of Nevadans who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 continued to creep higher in Monday’s report, with 56.95 percent of those 12 and older having received the recommended doses. The state is not yet tallying 5- through 11-year-olds now eligible to be vaccinated, but will begin to do so as of Nov. 22.

The state rate of fully vaccinated remains slightly higher than the 56.24 percent rate reported for Clark County.

Contact Mike Brunker at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.