Nevada reports highest number of new COVID cases since pandemic began

Nevada is identifying new COVID-19 cases at a pace reminiscent of the state’s previous peak this summer.

State health officials reported 1,562 cases on Friday morning, a record for single-day increases in cases. The previous record was 1,447 cases on July 16.

A little more than 1,000 of the new cases reported Friday were in Clark County.

The state’s seven-day average of new cases also surpassed 1,000 for the first time since August, as hospitalizations across the state continued to climb.

“The case increase that we’re experiencing right now is very much a wave, a surge in cases,” state COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage said Friday.

The state reported 21 deaths on Friday. However, the Southern Nevada Health District later clarified that 17 of those were due to a delay in reporting and had actually occurred between late May and mid-September.

Officials say the recent trends do hold some good news.

Fewer people who are being diagnosed with COVID-19 are requiring hospital treatment. Cases are also increasing at a slower rate than over the summer, meaning hospitals are less likely to see influxes of new patients at once.

UNLV epidemiologist Brian Labus said the current upward trend remains concerning.

“Whether it’s increasing quickly, or increasing slowly, it’s still increasing to a point where we’re seeing a lot of transmission,” said Labus, who serves on Sisolak’s medical advisory board for COVID-19.

Washoe County has seen the worst of the recent surge, Cage said.

Acute-care hospitals there had about 84 percent of all staffed beds filled, the Nevada Hospital Association reported Friday. About 16 percent of those patients were either confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19.

As flu season gets underway, hospitals may be placed under more stress from treating both flu and COVID-19 patients, the hospital association warned in a statement. A weekly index by Walgreens shows the Silver State is experiencing the most flu activity.

Officials have taken some recent action to help curb the spread of disease.

Last week, Washoe County limited the allowed size of most public gatherings to 50 people or fewer, a threshold much lower than the state’s maximum cap. The University of Nevada, Reno is moving all classes online after fall break.

The Southern Nevada Health District this week recommended against approving large gatherings of more than 250 people in Clark County. The recommendation could put on hold large events scheduled at major venues.

But state officials say changes in personal behavior remain the best way to slow the spread. Those include wearing face masks, social distancing and hand washing.

“The safest thing at this point for all of us in the state, but in Washoe County in particular, is to assume that you’re positive and not put others at risk,” said Julia Peek, deputy administrator for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.

Want the latest COVID-19 data? Check out the Review-Journal’s coronavirus data page.

Contact Michael Scott Davidson at sdavidson@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Follow @davidsonlvrj on Twitter.