Clark County records 414 new COVID-19 cases, averages fall

Clark County coronavirus metrics showed a steady decline for the second consecutive week.

State data posted Friday showed Clark County added 414 new cases and 14 deaths, bringing the county’s totals to 485,948 cases and 7,333 deaths.

The daily new cases average over a two-week period showed a 31-case decline for a new average of 335 new cases. The average daily death rate fell from nine to eight.

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.

On Thursday, the county reported just 128 new coronavirus cases, the lowest single-day increase since June 20 when the county reported 117 new cases just before the delta surge began.

Thirty-six fewer people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the new county total to 551 hospitalizations.

County officials announced this week that they will close two major COVID-19 testing sites in the coming weeks. The testing site at Texas Station, which reopened in January amid a rise in testing demand, will close on Sunday. The Sam Boyd Stadium site, which initially opened to chaotic lines and long wait times, will close on March 10.

Experts cited a decrease in demand for testing, as well as availability of home tests as reasons for the closure. At-home test results will not be included in publicly available data.

Both Clark County and Nevada showed the average positivity rate dropping by 1.1 percentage points. The average positivity rate in the county Friday was 14.6 percent while statewide it was 16.8 percent.

For the first time since November, Clark County metrics may allow the county to exit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s high risk category in the coming days. For a county to exit the category, the CDC requires a seven-day positivity rate below 10 percent and less than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

On Friday, Clark County recorded 111.53 average cases and a seven-day test-positivity rate of 10.71 percent.

Nevada added 589 new cases Friday and 19 new deaths, according to state data. The new statewide totals were 642,035 cases and 9,508 deaths.

The state’s average daily new cases fell another 58 cases to 532. The average has not fallen below 500 cases since July 7, according to state data, but has rapidly declined since the omicron surge receded.

The average daily deaths, 11, did not move from the day before. Across the state 54 fewer people were hospitalized, bringing the new total to 687.

As of Friday, 56.36 percent of Nevadans older than 5 had been fully vaccinated.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.