The positivity rate for virus tests and the average number of new cases continue to decline in Nevada.
But Task Force Director Caleb Cage said one reason is that rural reporting numbers haven’t really changed since Friday because those counties have shut down weekend reporting.
As Nevada closes in on 300,000 total cases at just over 291,000, the 14-day rolling average of new cases is down to 363 as of Monday morning.
But Julia Peek of the Behavioral Health division said now is not the time for people to get over confident.
“We’re not close to herd immunity in the general population yet,” she said.
Cage and Candice McDaniel, who is managing the vaccination program, said more than 556,500 vaccinations have been administered in Nevada although they are still working with the federal government to increase Nevada’s per-capita number of weekly doses. And they said the Moderna vaccine doses delayed by the winter storms that blanketed the south are beginning to arrive.
They said Nevada is doing an excellent job of getting the doses it receives into people’s arms.
Only six of Nevada’s 17 counties remain flagged for increased risk of transmission: Clark, Elko, Eureka, Mineral, Nye and Pershing.
In Carson City, the test positivity rate has dropped to just 6.1 percent, well below the 8 percent cutoff set by the state. Washoe’s rate is also below that cutoff at 7.3 percent as is Douglas County at 6.2 percent and Lyon County at 6.6 percent.
In all Nevada counties except Clark, the state health division is now using text messaging to notify people of their COVID-19 test results. All those with a cellphone can get the results very quickly that way.
Those tested by the Carson City Health and Human Services can get a text or through the CCHHS website.
In Clark County, the Southern Nevada Health District will provide results through their portal.
