Nevada COVID-19 positivity rate climbs back above 5%

Nevada’s positivity rate for COVID-19 climbed back above the 5 percent benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization for the first time in nearly a month.

After remaining unchanged for two days, the state’s two-week positivity rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.2 percent, according to state data posted Tuesday. The rate essentially measures the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who are found to be infected.

It was the first time since March 18 that the state rate has been above the 5 percent level, which the WHO said in May should be considered the threshold governments should remain below for at least two weeks before considering relaxing restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Clark County’s positivity rate, meanwhile, increased by 0.1 percentage points, reaching 5 percent.

Following two days where reported coronavirus deaths did not increase, Nevada also reported seven additional fatalities and 412 new cases on Tuesday.

Updated figures posted to the Department of Health and Human Services’ coronavirus website brought totals in the state to 308,755 cases and 5,339 deaths since the pandemic began.

Deaths were more than double the moving 14-day average of three daily recorded fatalities. Cases were well above the moving two-week average of daily reported cases, which dropped slightly to 223 on Tuesday.

After nearly three months of declining metrics, trendlines have flattened and are showing signs of increasing in recent days, state officials have said.

State and county health agencies often redistribute the 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.

There were 310 new coronavirus cases reported in Clark County on Tuesday, along with six additional deaths, according to data posted to the Southern Nevada Health District’s coronavirus website.

Cumulative totals in the county rose to 238,555 cases and 4,184 deaths.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.