Kansas celebrated the first day of summer Monday with no new COVID-19 cases reported since Friday, June 18. To date, there have been 316,695 cases as of 9 a.m. Monday, resulting in 10,980 hospitalizations and 5,129 statewide deaths. There have been 15 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) cases associated with COVID-19.

There were 156 new cases, 21 new hospitalizations and zero new deaths reported since June 18 (one since June 16).

The state’s database includes confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases by county. Barton County’s total peaked at 2,627 on June 7 but was later adjusted downward. Here are the total cases for area counties, and the change since June 7:

• Barton 2,621 (-6)

• Ellsworth 1,223 (+3)

• Pawnee 1,174 (+0)

• Rice 1,080 (+1)

• Rush 434 (+1)

• Russell 861 (+2)

• Stafford 344 (+0)

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports 44.37% of all Kansans have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot and 37.8% have completed the vaccine series.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now authorized for ages 12+.

The percentage of people 12 years of age or older vaccinated with at least one dose (or the full series) in area counties is:

• Barton 42.19 (38.60)

• Ellsworth 52.35 (46.31)

• Pawnee 47.55 (43.76)

• Rice 41.12 (37.76)

• Rush 45.71 (42.04)

• Russell 42.49 (38.71)

• Stafford 41.25 (39.37)

Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System say COVID-19 vaccines protect from all variants, and they encourage people to get vaccinated.

The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, has not been detected in the Golden Belt. To date, only a few variants have been detected in area counties and all are B.1.1.7, a “variant of concern” that was first detected in the United Kingdom. While the Delta variant, which was first detected in India, has increased transmissibility, the variant seen locally has about 50% increased transmission. Currently, there are no SARS-CoV-2 variants that rise to the level of “variants of high consequence.”