Nevada adds more than 500 new COVID-19 cases for 2nd day in a row

Nevada’s coronavirus metrics continued their recent rise on Friday, with the state reporting more than 500 new cases for the second straight day and the positivity rate registering another gain.

Updated numbers from the state Department of Health and Human Services reflecting reports collected over the previous day showed 536 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths in the state.

New cases were more than double the two-week moving average of 257 per day. Over the same period, Nevada averaged three deaths per day.

The update pushed Nevada’s cumulative totals to 310,235 cases and 5,365 deaths.

The test positivity rate, meanwhile, added another 0.2 percentage points to its recent ascent, reaching 5.7 percent.

The rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected, has been rising steadily since April 3, when it reached a recent low of 4.2 percent. It is now at it’s highest level since March 14.

Data guide: COVID-19’s impact on Nevada

There were 380 people hospitalized in Nevada with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday’s report, 14 more than the previous day, according to the data.

Disease metrics had been declining for nearly three months, but have recently flattened and registered a series of slight increases over the past two weeks.

State public health officials say the rise of the metrics was expected after the relaxation of some mitigation measures recently by Gov. Steve Sisolak, and is not yet cause for concern.

“If we get to a point where the rate of that growth is becoming more significant or that is precipitating to concerns for our hospital infrastructure and/or the number of people dying from the virus, then we’ll definitely raise that flag and have concerns,” state biostatistician Kyra Morgan said Friday at a news briefing.

Meanwhile, the Southern Nevada Health District reported 455 new cases and six additional deaths on Friday, bringing the cumulative totals for Clark County to 234,748 cases and 4,205 deaths.

The Southern Nevada Health District also reported a test positivity rate of 5.5 percent, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from the previous day.

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.