A day after announcing he'd tested positive for COVID-19, Gov. Steve Sisolak warned Saturday that Nevada's response to the coronavirus outbreak was at "a critical juncture" as the state reported a record number of new confirmed cases for the second day in a row.
"Today, we recorded 2,269 new cases, including mine," Sisolak said on Twitter. "I again want to underscore the importance for Nevadans to stay home when they can to help protect themselves and our communities."
The new cases announced Saturday with 15 additional deaths increased the state's totals to 119,006 cases and 1,908 deaths.
On Friday, Nevada had reported 1,857 new confirmed cases, surpassing the previous record of 1,824 cases reported Nov. 7.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
Sisolak warned Nevadans earlier in the week that if the state fails to slow the spread of the virus within two weeks, he will be forced to reimplement stricter measures. He asked residents to commit to a "Stay-at-Home 2.0" mentality to ensure the state's hospitals don't become overwhelmed.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University and The Covid Tracking Project, Nevada's seven-day rolling averages for daily new cases, daily deaths and testing positivity all increased in the past two weeks.
Sisolak, a 66-year-old Democrat, told reporters Friday he was not experiencing any symptoms.
"I'm a little tired, but I've been tired since March when we started fighting COVID," Sisolak said. "I think this just puts a spotlight on the fact that you can take all the precautions that are possible and you can still contract the virus. I don't know how I got it, but we're going to quarantine and get through it."
Sisolak was the fifth governor to report testing positive for the coronavirus this year.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
In another development, an additional 331 inmates and 18 more staff members at the Warm Springs Correctional Center in Carson City have tested positive for the coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections announced late Friday.
The additional positive tests increased the totals to 424 inmates and 25 staffer members, the department said.
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