Nevada now past 8,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19

Nevada health officials are reporting the state’s total number of COVID-19 cases is now past 8,600.

The state Department of Health and Human Services updated their testing data Monday with a new total of 8,688 positive coronavirus cases. The number of known deaths is now up to 421.

Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, last week eased closure orders enacted to prevent groups of people from gathering and possibly spreading communicable COVID-19. The governor allowed a second wave of businesses including bars and health facilities to reopen Friday and raised from 10 to 50 the number of people allowed at social gatherings, including religious services.

He said gambling can resume Thursday under strict rules and oversight of gambling regulators. Casino companies have begun calling back some of their hundreds of thousands of furloughed employees.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.