No COVID-19 clusters from Barton County were included in this week’s list from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Every Wednesday, KDHE publishes the names of locations that have five or more COVID-19 cases with symptom onset dates in the last 14 days. This is the third consecutive week with no clusters in Barton County.

Three area clusters were reported: Larned State Hospital in Pawnee County had eight cases within the last 14 days, Ellsworth Correctional Facility had seven, and Homestead of Russell, a long-term care facility, had five.

The number of COVID-19 cases statewide to date as of 9 a.m. Wednesday totaled 194,569, resulting in 6,050 hospitalizations and 2,253 deaths. There were 4,551 new cases, 144 new deaths and 155 new hospitalizations reported since Monday, Dec. 14.

The state’s report of total cases for area counties includes: Barton, 1,965; Ellsworth, 954; Pawnee, 872; Rice, 649; Rush, 317; Russell, 655; and Stafford, 248.

The Pawnee County Health Department reports that as of Tuesday, Dec. 15, 72 cases have been identified in the last 14 days and 29 in the last seven days, and there are 37 active cases. The health department shows its total number of cases for the community as 407, and does not include Larned State Hospital, Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility or long-term care facilities in its total.