COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations rise in Clark County for 2nd day

Clark County on Thursday recorded 687 new coronavirus cases and 28 deaths during the preceding day, as fatalities and hospitalizations bucked a trend of improvement in key COVID-19 metrics for the second straight day.

Data reported by the Southern Nevada Health District raised county totals to 320,232 COVID-19 cases and 5,651 deaths.

New cases were far above the two-week moving average, which nonetheless dipped by one to 366 per day, according to state data.

Fatalities were more than three times higher than the average for the period, which rose by one for the second straight day to eight per day.

Hospitalizations of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in the county also increased from the preceding day, jumping by 33 to 661.

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The county’s two-week test positivity rate, which tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected, remained unchanged at 7.9 percent, the state data showed.

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.

All four key metrics for the county have been falling from recent peaks last month, though the progress has been slow and jagged, with daily increases interrupting the long-term declines.

Meanwhile, Nevada on Thursday reported 1,140 new COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths during the preceding day.

New cases reported by the Department of Health and Human Services were well above the two-week moving average of 692 per day, though the average itself edged lower from 694 on Wednesday.

Deaths were more than three times higher than the average of 14 per day for the period, which rose by two from the preceding day.

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The statewide test positivity rate inched lower, dropping 0.1 percentage point to 10.3 percent.

Hospitalizations of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients rose by 33 from Wednesday’s report to 922.

Ellie Graeden, a consultant to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, said at a news briefing Thursday that there are divergent COVID-19 trends in the state between the urban and rural counties.

Both new cases and hospitalizations are declining in urban areas in Northern and Southern Nevada, she said, with the case rate in the latter falling from 727 per 100,000 people to 616 in the past two weeks.

“But cases rates in 11 other counties in Nevada are roughly double that, with more than 1,000 cases per 100,000,” said Graeden, founder and CEO of Talus Analytics. “Hospitalizations decreased by 23 percent in Southern Nevada and by 16 percent in Northern Nevada over the last two weeks, but increased by 13 percent in rural Nevada.”

Meanwhile, state data shows that 55.67 percent of eligible Nevadans 12 and older have been fully vaccinated, slightly higher than the 55.05 percent recorded for Clark County.

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