Clark County Public Health reported 26 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday on a day that also saw the county’s infection rate fall back into the “moderate risk” category for school reopening, if only barely.
The new cases bring Clark County’s total number of cases to 2,325 so far. No new deaths were reported Tuesday. The number of deaths from COVID-19 to date is 45.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 fell to 19 as of Tuesday, but seven people were hospitalized awaiting test results, up from Monday’s numbers.
The most notable change in Tuesday’s report was that the county’s rate of new cases per 100,000 population over a 14-day period fell to 74.7. (The period starts six days earlier to account for a lag in testing.)
The new number is just under the “high risk” threshold of 75 new cases or more per 100,000 residents over two weeks used by state health officials for recommending whether schools should be closed to in-person instruction. One week ago, the county’s rate was 88.0.
The infection rate for “moderate risk” falls between 25 and 75 new cases per 100,000 residents. State officials have recommended that schools in moderate risk communities continue distance learning for middle and high school students, with some in-person instruction for elementary school students and students with special needs.
Eight Clark County school districts have previously recommended a fully remote start to the school year. Detailed plans are still being finalized, including for students receiving special education services.
Clark County’s infection rate had previously been at 74.3 before jumping up to 88.0 last week, but infection rates had previously been much higher, varying from 96.4 to 99.7 new cases per 100,000 residents in July, according to Public Health.
