Dr. Fermin Leguen, acting Chief Health Officer of the Southern Nevada Health District, speaks to the media about how COVID-19 is impacting the Latino at the Southern Nevada Health District Office in Las Vegas, Wednesday, May 13, 2020.
Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 | 5:24 p.m.
Clark County announced Monday it has reached a key milestone as other important metrics to track COVID-19 transmission indicate Southern Nevada may be turning a corner in the pandemic.
More than 70% of residents 12 and older living in Clark County have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the Southern Nevada Health District has administered 2,486,149 doses of the vaccine, the agency said in a news release.
In total, more than 75% of residents over 18 have been at least partially vaccinated, and more than 62% of adults have completed vaccination.
The news comes as the novel coronavirus’ positivity rate continues to decline within the county.
“This achievement is a demonstration of how committed our community members are to taking care of themselves and each other,” Dr. Fermin Leguen, chief health officer of the Southern Nevada Health District, said in a statement. “It is also a reflection of the hard work of our staff and response partners.”
In addition to getting the vaccine, the health district urges residents to continue masking in public indoor places, frequent hand washing, covering one’s mouth whenever sneezing or coughing, and getting the flu vaccine. The agency also recommends anyone dealing with COVID-19 symptoms, or anyone believed to have been exposed, to get a test regardless of vaccination status.
Starting Friday and running through Oct. 25, the Health District is expanding evening and weekend COVID-19 vaccine clinic hours at its 280 S. Decatur Blvd. location, according to the release. The new hours will run from 5-8 p.m. on weekdays and noon till 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Cases have been showing signs of declining in recent days, with the state averaging 793 daily cases and 11 daily deaths in 14-day rolling averages, according to Nevada Health Response. Nevada is averaging a 10.6% positivity rate on tests during the 14-day rolling average, slightly higher than the 8.2% recorded in Clark County.
Statewide, 64.6% of Nevadans have gotten at least one jab, and 55.3% are fully inoculated, according to the NHR.
“Through our combined and sustained efforts, we can continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community and get back to enjoying our pre-pandemic lives,” Leguen said.
