Biggest daily jump sends Nevada's virus death toll past 1K

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada’s biggest daily jump in coronavirus fatalities has pushed the state’s COVID-19 death toll past 1,000, a grim milestone that Gov. Steve Sisolak said Thursday should reinforce the seriousness of the pandemic and the need to do more to help slow its spread.

“These deaths are a sobering reminder that we must remain vigilant and do all that we can to slow the spread while we’re in the throes of this horrific pandemic,” Sisolak said.

“I implore all Nevadans to do your part. Wear a face covering, practice social distancing, and above all, take seriously our personal responsibility to help slow the spread and protect those around us,” the Democrat said in a statement.

The state recorded 602 new cases of the virus Thursday to bring the total to 58,650. The death toll grew 34 to 1,030, surpassing the previous record of 29 deaths reported on July 31 and equaled Aug. 7.

The state’s cumulative positivity rate remained virtually unchanged at 10.5%. It’s generally been rising since it hit a low of 5.2% on June 17.

The number of patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 stood at 982 on Thursday, down from the previous two weeks when hospitalizations were at about 1,100.

Those in intensive care units also continued to drop to 260 on Thursday, down from a peak of 339 on Aug. 1. Before that, ICU beds filled with COVID-19 patients had generally been on the rise since July 1.

Caleb Cage, the state's COVID-19 response chief, said Wednesday that the number of new cases reported has been slowing since Aug. 1.

The 528 new cases that were added on Wednesday marked the lowest daily growth since July 7, but came with a warning from health officials against complacency.

“We are fortunately in a down trend,” Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said Wednesday. “We are still at levels that are very, very high and far above where we were in June.”

“What we’ve seen before is while we had some trends that moved in the direction, then people have stopped being vigilant and let up on their efforts to prevent the spread,” he said.

The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for up to three weeks. But older adults and people with existing health problems can face severe illness and death. The vast majority of people recover.