Nevada numbers

State’s positivity rate keeps falling

The state added 173 COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths, while its positivity rate dipped again

Nevada public health officials on Monday reported 173 new coronavirus cases and 10 additional deaths.

The updated numbers from the state Department of Health and Human Services brought statewide totals to 291,145 cases and 4,882 deaths.

New cases of COVID-19 were far below the twoweek moving average of 363 cases per day. Over the same period, the state had been averaging 12 deaths per day.

Caleb Cage, Nevada’s COVID-19 response director, said most rural county numbers did not change

because health officials in those counties are moving away from weekend work, which is expected to lead to lower-than-average numbers in Monday updates.

Still, key metrics for the disease have been trending lower for more than a month.

The state’s two-week positivity rate, which essentially tracks the percentage of people tested who are confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to fall in the latest update, dropping 0.3 percentage point to

9.6 percent. The last time the positivity rate was that low was Nov. 1, according to state data.

Hospitalizations also continued a downward trend Monday, when officials reported 580 people in the state were hospitalized with either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. That represents a decrease of 32 patients from the previous day.

Clark County health officials reported 128 new cases and nine deaths, bringing local totals to 224,597 cases and 3,789 deaths. County numbers are included in statewide totals.

The two-week positivity rate in Clark County was 10.7 percent, a decrease of 0.4 percentage point from the previous day, according to state data.