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Golden Belt sees fewer COVID-19 cases this week
coronavirus cdc

The number of new cases of COVID-19 in area counties fell this week, with only nine new cases in Barton County from Monday to Wednesday. There was one new death in Barton County attributed to COVID-19.

Earlier in the week, Great Bend USD 428 reported there were only two active COVID-19 cases in district buildings Monday, both at Special Services, located in the Washington Early Education Center. At Monday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Khris Thexton said the two cases were staff members, and that none of the children in USD 428 had COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon.


Cluster report 

Ellsworth Correctional Facility and Larned State Hospital remained on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 cluster list this week. Although there are 341 active clusters statewide, KDHE only publishes the locations that have had five or more cases with symptom onset in the last 14 days. These reports are updated every Wednesday.

Of the 37 locations listed, only two were in the Golden Belt. Ellsworth Correctional Facility has had 11 cases in the past 14 days, and the last date of symptom onset was Feb. 13. Larned State Hospital has had six cases and the last onset date was Feb. 11.

As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Kansas has had 760,599 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 19,091 hospitalizations and 2,890 statewide deaths over the course of the pandemic. There were 2,362 new cases, 125 new hospitalizations and 30 new deaths reported since Monday, Feb. 14.


Area cases

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

• Barton 6,426 (+9) 

• Ellsworth 2,004 (+2)

• Pawnee 2,090 (+5)

• Rice 2,560 (+5)

• Rush 804 (+3)

• Russell 1,861 (+5)

• Stafford 1,124 (+2)


Area deaths

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

• Barton 86 (+1)

• Ellsworth 31

• Pawnee 23

• Rice 22 

• Rush 18

• Russell 36 

• Stafford 26


Hospitalizations

The Great Bend Tribune also reports on COVID-19-related hospitalizations in Barton, Pawnee and Stafford counties.

• As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, Barton County has reported 173 hospitalizations attributed to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic, including 32 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions to date, and 114 discharged patients reported to KDHE. This reflects one new hospitalization and one new discharge since last Monday. The median age for patients admitted in February is 71.

• Pawnee County has reported 76 hospital admissions, 15 ICU admissions and 50 discharged patients to date. This was an increase of one hospital admission since Monday. The median age for patients admitted in February is 62.

• Stafford County has reported 36 hospital admissions, 15 ICU admissions and 23 discharged patients to date. These numbers have not changed since Jan. 5.