COVID-19 test positivity rate 9% in Carson City, 10.2% in Douglas

Carson City reported its 10^th death and Douglas its second since the COVID-19 pandemic hit as the number of infections continued to rise this week.

The capital now has 871 cases of the disease and Douglas 450.

After spending most of the past six months below 4 percent positivity, Carson’s rate is now 9 percent and Douglas has hit 10.2 percent.

For the most recent 14-day period, cases in Nevada are growing at 769 a day. But the state added 1,562 cases on Thursday. Positivity is at 12 percent over the past 14 days.

Nine Nevada counties are currently flagged for higher risk of transmission including Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Washoe and Lyon. All are flagged for having more than 200 cases per 100,000 population over the past 30 days and test positivity rates higher than 8 percent.

Hospitalizations also continue to rise with 550 confirmed virus cases and 120 suspected. That puts the hospital occupancy rate at 78 percent but ICU occupancy at 66 percent.

Experts are blaming cooler weather driving more people to indoor activities. They say private events are still the root of the problem, not the bars and restaurants.

Several at-risk counties are increasing enforcement efforts and Washoe has again cut the maximum size of gatherings to 25 people or 50 percent of an establishment’s capacity, whichever is lower.

Statewide there have now been 1,845 deaths. There are now 106,922 confirmed cases of the virus in Nevada.