Clark County’s rate of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations fell this week, and weekly deaths dropped to their lowest level since June, according to the latest data from Clark County Public Health.
The COVID-19 activity rate, which measures the number of cases per 100,000 residents over seven days, fell to 74.3 this week, the lowest level since April before highly contagious variants emerged and boosted infection rates, according to Public Health. The rate was 91.5 last week.
Clark County remains in the low-risk category for disease transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based on its current number of cases, hospitalizations and overall hospital occupancy.
Recommendations for low-risk counties include staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least five days, according to the CDC.
Public Health reported 365 new cases this week, pushing the total recorded cases to 104,405 to date. Officials have noted that the widespread use of home antigen tests means these statistics most likely under represent the actual number of cases in the community.
If you test positive for COVID-19 with an at-home test, health officials ask that you report it to the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127.
There were three deaths from COVID-19 reported this week, bringing the county’s total to 909 deaths to date. Deaths are typically reported 10 to 12 days after they occur, according to Public Health.
Clark County hospitals were treating 53 people with or suspected of having COVID-19 as of this week, down from 58 last week. The rate of new hospital admissions over seven days fell to 5.4 per 100,000, down from 8.0 last week.
Hospitals remain near capacity, with 96.2 percent of hospital beds and 98.1 percent of intensive care beds occupied. Patients with or suspected of having COVID-19 accounted for 9.9 percent of hospital beds and 9.4 percent of intensive care unit beds, according to Public Health data.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk of becoming very sick, you may be eligible for treatments that can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death. Treatments such as antivirals and monoclonal antibodies are available, but treatment must begin within several days of testing positive or developing symptoms, according to Public Health.
Learn more about COVID-19 treatments on the state Department of Health website.
People who are exposed to the virus no longer need to quarantine at home, regardless of their vaccination status; however, they should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested for the virus on day five, according to CDC guidelines.
