Nevada reported 71 new deaths from the coronavirus Wednesday, setting the highest single-day toll. The deaths included people who probably contracted the virus in mid-December, according to state COVID-19 response director Caleb Cage , suggesting that reverberations from holiday gatherings could still be forthcoming. Although deaths continue to surge, the number of confirmed daily cases has stayed low throughout January — a trend that Cage said made him “cautiously optimistic” about the trajectory of the virus. Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick said the seven-day average for new confirmed cases in the Reno-Sparks area has dropped by about 17% over the past week.