The Barton County Road and Bridge Department, along with Great Bend High School and Stafford USD 349, were listed as COVID-19 exposure locations on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s weekly COVID Cluster report.

Every Wednesday, KDHE publishes the names of locations that have five or more COVID-19 cases with symptom onset in the last 14 days. Although KDHE reports there are 45 active clusters in Kansas schools, only seven locations were listed. Other schools listed were Buhler Grade School, Emporia Christian School, The Barstow School in Johnson County, Troy USD 429 pre-K-8th and valley Heights Jr. High School in Blue Rapids. Two sports groups were also listed, Seaman Middle School Wrestling in Topeka and Smoky Valley Middle School Girls Basketball in Lindsborg.

In the Golden Belt, Barton County Road & Bridge has had five cases in the last 14 days with Sunday, Nov. 7 being the last date of symptom onset; GBHS has had six, the last one starting on Nov. 5; and Stafford USD 349 has had 12, the last one starting on Nov. 5.

Statewide cases

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Kansas has had 445,089 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 15,200 hospitalizations and 6,613 statewide deaths. There were 2,857 new cases, 75 new hospitalizations and 79 new deaths reported since Monday. That includes two new deaths in Barton County and one each in Ellsworth, Pawnee and Stafford counties.

Area case totals

Here are the total cases for area counties as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, with the change since last Monday:

• Barton 4,077 (+43)

• Ellsworth 1,427 (+8)

• Pawnee 1,517 (+4)

• Rice 1,490 (+0)

• Rush 527 (+3)

• Russell 1,219 (+11)

• Stafford 644 (+11)

Area deaths

Here are the death totals for area counties as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, with any change since Monday.

• Barton 62 (+2) 

• Ellsworth 30 (+1)

• Pawnee 19 (+1)

• Rice 15  

• Rush 16

• Russell 33 

• Stafford 17 (+1)

Hospitalizations as of Wednesday:

Barton County has reported 135 hospitalizations attributed to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, an increase of four since Monday. The number of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions increased by one to 28. The number of discharged patients reported to KDHE is 90, up two from Monday. The median age of Barton County patients admitted so far this month is 50.

Pawnee County has reported 65 hospital admissions and 14 ICU admissions to date, and 46 discharged patients. These numbers have not changed from Monday. The median age of Pawnee County patients admitted so far this month is 42.

Stafford County has reported 25 hospitalizations, including 10 ICU admissions and 17 discharged patients. The numbers are unchanged from Friday, Oct. 29.