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COVID-19 new case reports drop to 2 in Barton County
coronavirus cdc

Even as Kansas creeps toward its 10,000th death related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new case rate continues to drop.

Barton, Stafford, Rice and Edwards counties all had a low weekly new case rate for the period from Jan. 21-27. That translated to two new cases in Barton County and zero in the other three.

Pawnee, Rush and Russell counties had a moderate rate of new cases, defined as 10-49 cases per 100,000 people. There were two cases each in Pawnee and Russell counties, and one in Rush County.

For the counties surrounding Barton, only Ellsworth County had a substantial new case rate (50-99 cases per 100,000 people), with four new cases.

These numbers come from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which issues a weekly update on Wednesdays but does not include the most recent five days because data is expected to be incomplete.

The KDHE does issue a weekly overview on Wednesdays but did not update its figures on Feb. 1. The last overview showed there were 2,148 new cases and 41 new deaths reported statewide between Jan. 18 and Jan. 25. This brought the total number of COVID-related deaths in Kansas to date to 9,969.

COVID-19 case rate is mostly low to moderate in Kansas
coronavirus cdc

The rate of new COVID-19 cases statewide this past week was mostly low or moderate, with many counties reporting zero new cases.

Sparsely populated Sheridan and Hamilton counties had a “high” rate, with three new cases reported in each, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Those three cases translated to 118-119 cases per 100,000 people. 

Five additional counties: Decatur, Thomas, Lane, Morris and Cherokee, had a “substantial” new case rate, or 50-99 cases per 100,000 people.

All other counties had a “moderate” rate of 10-49 cases per 100,000 or a “low” rate of fewer than 10 cases per 100,000.

In central Kansas, the new case rates for Barton (10 cases), Rice (2) and Stafford (1) counties were “moderate,” while Ellsworth, Pawnee Rush and Russell counties had zero new cases for a “low” rate.

Those figures, released Wednesday, were for the period starting April 22 and ending April 28. The most recent five days were not included as data is expected to be incomplete.

Statewide, as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, there were 486 new cases and 13 new deaths reported since Wednesday, April 26.