4 key coronavirus metrics continue to improve in Clark County

By Ricardo Torres-Cortez Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 years ago

Torrey Cole get a COVID-19 booster shot from Susan Pruitt while her daughter Valentina Morales, ... — Torrey Cole get a COVID-19 booster shot from Susan Pruitt while her daughter Valentina Morales, 3, gets a flu shot from Yvette Rhebok during a free pop-up “vaccination play date” at Discovery Children’s Museum in downtown Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. Every person who gets a vaccination receives two free passes to the museum. Upcoming pop-up clinics with free museum passes include Jan. 17, 22, Feb. 7, 21 and March 10. (K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @KMCannonPhoto

Clark County recorded 1,667 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths over the weekend as the four key metrics that measure the impact of the virus continue to show improvement.

The updated figures from the Southern Nevada Health District push the total number of cases in Clark County since the onset of the pandemic nearly two years ago to 481,183 and 7,071 deaths.

Meanwhile, hospitalization of patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in the county, the test positivity rate, the two-week average of new cases and the two-week average of deaths all declined from Friday’s numbers.

Nevada’s COVID dashboard does not update on the weekends.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

As of Sunday, 1,012 people in Clark County were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases, compared to 1,449 reported Friday. A total of 204 patients were occupying intensive care unit beds, and 136 required ventilators. Those are down from 240 and 149 reported on Friday.

The positivity rate dropped by nearly 2 percentage points, from 28.1 percent reported Friday to 26.4 percent Monday.

The two-week average average of daily cases decreased from 1,293 Friday to 1,022, while daily deaths — which also are measured on a 14-day moving average — decreased from 12 on Friday to nine.

The health district distributes a weekly report on so-called breakthrough cases of those who were vaccinated but still infected with COVID-19.

Health officials maintain that breakthrough cases should be expected, but that vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness or death. They maintain that the jab has proven effective against the COVID-19 variants that have emerged.

Thursday’s report shows that Clark County has detected 64,234 such cases and 356 deaths. About 85 percent of breakthrough deaths were reported among people age 65 and older.

Of the total number of breakthrough cases reported, only 1,019 people — or 2 percent — required hospitalization.

In Clark County, 71.57 percent of the total population have initiated vaccination, and 57.64 percent have received at least two jabs, health district data shows.

Almost three-in-four people over the age of 5 (the eligible population) have received at least one jab, while 59.56 percent have completed the two-vaccine regime, the data shows.

Statewide, 2,541 new cases and 42 deaths were reported over the weekend, according to Nevada data.

Nevada is reporting 633,850 COVID-19 cases confirmed since March 2020, and 9,186 people have lost their life.

The state’s daily positivity rate — the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected — decreased from 29.5 percent Friday to 28.1 percent.

The average daily new cases fell by 346 to a new average of 1,632.

The two-week moving average of deaths increased from 12 Friday to 13, state data shows. Across the state, the number of patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 decreased from 1,449 on Friday to 1,218.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on Twitter.