Nevada is seeing signs the latest COVID-19 surge is slowing since the re-imposition of a mask mandate.
Candice McDaniel of the Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that Nevada was the first state to re-impose masking for indoor public gatherings two weeks ago.
“We’re now seeing a slowing of COVID growth in our state,” she said. Cases have increased just 15 percent in the past two weeks compared to over 100 percent nationally.
But she made clear she’s not ready to call the surge over, urging more people in the state to get vaccinated and wear masks when in bars, restaurants and other public indoor spaces.
Although hospitalizations are up 17 percent in the past two weeks, they were up 48 percent the week before that. Saying the vaccines are doing their job, McDaniel said even though cases are similar to the surge last summer, deaths are half what they were.
She pointed out that 97 percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated and said those who say they don’t need a vaccination because they had COVID and recovered should get one because they are doubling the chances of getting re-infected and seriously ill. She said a vaccine provides double the protection of natural immunity.
She also said vaccination rates are improving statewide in part because of improved accessibility and people’s growing fears of the highly contagious Delta variant.
