Clark County reaches high COVID transmission, urges mask-wearing indoors – The Nevada Independent

4 months after the state’s masks mandate was lifted, the Southern Nevada Well being District (SNHD) introduced Clark County has reached excessive COVID-19 neighborhood transmission and “strongly” recommends individuals put on masks in public indoor locations. 

The Friday announcement comes as weekly case averages have been on an upward development for the previous couple of weeks. As of June 8, SNHD reported greater than 6,000 circumstances within the final seven days. 

“Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic shouldn’t be behind us but,” SNHD District Well being Officer Fermin Leguen stated in an announcement. “So long as the virus remains to be circulating in our neighborhood, there’s nonetheless the chance for surges in case counts and hospitalizations such because the one we’re experiencing now.”

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention measures COVID-19 neighborhood ranges utilizing a mix of three metrics, together with new COVID-19 hospital admissions, the proportion of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 sufferers, and the full new COVID-19 sufferers per 100,000 inhabitants up to now 7 days. 

Clark is the one county in Nevada now measuring at a “excessive” stage by the CDC, though Washoe, Nye and Esmeralda counties are listed at a “medium” stage. The remaining counties are categorized as “low.”

Requested whether or not he would take into account reinstating a masks mandate, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s workplace stated in an announcement that he “[encourages] Nevadans who want to take action to put on a masks” and get vaccinated or boosted. The assertion added that state “specialists and analysts are usually not alarmed” on the latest improve in circumstances and don’t imagine it would pose a risk to pressure Nevada’s well being care infrastructure or the flexibility to take care of sufferers. 

Along with sporting masks indoors, SNHD additionally really useful people sustain on their COVID-19 vaccines, and urged individuals experiencing signs or who’ve been in touch with somebody sick to get examined and keep residence. SNHD recommends isolating for 5 days after testing constructive for COVID-19 — or sporting a masks round others for 5 days if asymptomatic.

COVID-19 vaccines and testing are nonetheless out there in areas all through the county. This week SNHD introduced new merchandising machines with COVID-19 self-test kits on the Regional Transportation Fee’s (RTC) Bonneville transit middle and on the Mesa View Regional Hospital. 

For extra data and detailed graphs, try our COVID-19 knowledge web page.