Clark County reported only 49 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday but cautioned that the actual numbers might end up higher.
“We are aware of some data reporting issues that are causing delays in positive cases being reported to Public Health,” health officials said in a social media post. “We’re working with our local partners and the state to get these issues resolved.”
The new cases bring the county’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 16,633. If the number of new cases doesn’t grow, it would put the average number of cases since Friday at about 87 cases per day.
No new deaths were reported Wednesday. So far this week, nine deaths have been reported from COVID-19, pushing the county’s total to 175, according to Public Health data.
The number of active cases still in their isolation period fell to 618, down from 690 on Tuesday, according to Public Health.
Hospitalizations also fell in Wednesday’s report. There were 47 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down from 53 on Tuesday. There were five people hospitalized awaiting test results, down from 13 on Tuesday, according to Public Health data.
Vaccines and appointments
Public Health officials on Wednesday also offered details via social media regarding how COVID-19 vaccines make it to Clark County and how that translates to vaccinations.
According to Public Health, the state is allocated vaccines from the federal government every week and then determines which groups will receive the vaccine. State officials coordinate with local health care facilities, pharmacies and public health officials over the amount of vaccine needed in various regions.
“The requests for vaccine are always greater than the amount of vaccine the state has available,” Public Health said.
It takes a few days before local providers learn how much vaccine they can expect, or if they won’t receive any at all, and they receive vaccines a few days after that.
“Because facilities don’t always know how much vaccine they’re getting, they may not book appointments too far in advance,” the Public Health post said. “Sometimes, if the expected vaccine order isn’t filled, a facility may have to cancel or reschedule appointments.”
Another complicating factor: State health officials are working to ensure adequate supplies for second doses, Public Health said. “The unpredictable nature of the shipments make it challenging for facilities to plan and administer vaccine. But as supply increases and the amount of vaccine being shipped to states (and then distributed to facilities) becomes more predictable, we’ll see vaccine appointments more readily available.”
Confirm if you are eligible for vaccination using the state’s Phase Finder. If eligible, make an appointment by calling 800-525-0127, then press #. Or call 888-856-5816. Phone lines were busy earlier this week, and wait times were extremely long. Or book an appointment at https://mhealthcheckin.com/covidvaccine.
