Nevada COVID positivity rate nears goal set by WHO

Nevada public health officials reported 265 new coronavirus cases and four additional deaths across the state on Friday.

The latest numbers from the state Department of Health and Human Services pushed Nevada’s cumulative totals to 300,680 cases and 5,161 deaths.

Clark County accounted for 208 of the new cases and all four deaths. As of Friday, the county had reported a total of 232,382 cases and 4,043 deaths.

The number of new statewide cases reported Friday were above Nevada’s two-week moving average of 209 per day. The state averaged five deaths per day over the same period, according to the data, which is updated daily on the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Meanwhile, 309 people were hospitalized in the state as of Friday with either confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, the data showed. That’s a decrease of 22 patients from the previous day.

Nevada’s two-week positivity rate also dropped 0.1 percentage points Friday to 5.1 percent, according to the data. The World Health Organization recommends that governments maintain a 5 percent rate for 14 straight days before beginning to reopen.

Clark County’s 14-day positivity rate was slightly higher on Friday at 5.2 percent, though the latest figure was down 0.2 percentage points from the previous day.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.