The Kansas Department of Health and Environment released its weekly COVID-19 update on Wednesday, noting that as of 9 a.m., there were 1,698 new cases and 18 new deaths reported since Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Area counties all showed either a high or substantial rate of new cases for the weekly cumulative period starting Sept. 24 and ending Sept. 30. A “high” weekly rate is defined as 100 or more cases per 100,000 people and a “substantial” rate is 50-99 cases per 100,000. The rate was high in all of the following counties except Rush, where it was substantial.

Here are the new case totals for area counties for Sept. 24-30. The last five days are not included because data is expected to be incomplete:

• Barton 29 (112.5 per 100,000)

• Ellsworth 8 (131.1)

• Pawnee 19 (155.9)

• Rice 13 (136.3)

• Rush 2 (65.9)

• Russell 11 (160.4)

• Stafford 5 (120.3)