Nevada saw a big drop in its daily reported deaths due to the coronavirus Saturday after recording the largest number since the outbreak began.
The five additional deaths brought the state's total to 835. The state Department of Health and Human Services had reported 29 deaths on Friday.
The number of confirmed infections rose by 986 on Saturday to 49,074. The average number of new confirmed cases daily over the past two weeks has remained fairly constant.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
The state health agency said hospitalizations were down slightly from the day before.
Restrictions remain in Nevada for businesses and on gatherings of more than 50 people after Gov. Steve Sisolak extended them beyond July when they were set to expire. Bars that don't serve food in Clark, Washoe, Nye and Elko counties remain closed because of an elevated risk of transmission.
Sisolak said he would release a long-term reopening strategy that allows for more granular decision-making as the coronavirus continues to spread in the coming days. The strategy will replace broad guidelines with narrower reopening criteria and include tougher enforcement of businesses and local governments that flout safety measures, he said.
For most people, COVID-19 causes mild or moderate fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, can face severe illness including pneumonia and death. The vast majority recover.