Great Bend USD 428 started last week with no active cases of COVID-19, according to the district’s weekly report on its website.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports that as of 9 a.m. Friday, there have been 778,045 COVID-19 cases, resulting in 8,691 statewide deaths. There were 2,232 new cases and 56 new deaths reported since Friday, April 29.

The Weekly New Case Rate for the period from April 25 to May 1 showed moderate transmission (10-49 new cases per 100,000 population) for Barton, Russell and Stafford counties and low transmission (fewer than 10 per 100,000) for Ellsworth, Rice and Rush counties. Pawnee County, which was listed with a high transmission rate (greater than 100 cases per 100,000) the week before was downgraded to a “substantial,” rate (50-99 cases per 100,000). Six new cases in Pawnee County during this time period represented 93.5 cases per 100,000 population. However, there were only two new cases reported in Pawnee County over the past week.

Here are the total cases to date for area counties as of 9 a.m. May 6, with any change since Friday, May 29:

• Barton 6,501 (+5)

• Ellsworth 2,016 (+2)

• Pawnee 2,139 (+2)

• Rice 2,612 (+1)

• Rush 808

• Russell 1,882

• Stafford 1,139