LARNED — For the second straight week, Pawnee County has remained at Level Yellow on the county-adopted COVID-19 risk matrix. Level Yellow indicates a minimal to moderate risk of the spread of COVID-19.

At their regular meeting last Monday, Pawnee County Commissioners discussed whether the risk matrix should be adjusted. According to current data in the assessment, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red level thresholds for two-week cumulative new cases are 0-10, 11-20, 21-29 and 30+ respectively. 

Commissioner Robert Rein suggested amending the thresholds to 0-15, 16-29, 30-44 and 45+. “Now that we have six months of data, it might be a good time to adjust the requisite numbers for each category,” he said.

Commissioner Deborah Lewis countered that changing the numbers would not be beneficial to the county. “Our county health department and community hospital both agree that making any adjustments right now would be sending mixed messages,” she said. 

County Attorney Doug McNett said that at the time the thresholds were established, “they were no more than educated guesses.”

Rein said he would like to bring the issue up for discussion again at the commissioner’s next meeting, scheduled for March 1.

COVID update

Pawnee County saw a slight increase in COVID-19 cases over the week. The County Health Department reported 1,130 cases of COVID-19 throughout the county as of Tuesday, Feb. 16. The current county total is an increase of five cases from a week ago. Total community cases (excluding Larned State Hospital, individuals in long-term care and Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility) were 591, which is up by only one case from last week. 

In the past 14 days, 13 cases have been identified but only one case in the last seven days. The county has reported 14 deaths from the virus, an increase of one from a week ago.

Current county vaccination totals 

According to County Health Director Cheryl Hoberecht, the total number of vaccines administered to date are 460, which are 100 doses more than the last week’s tally. She added that 30 of those doses are primary.  

“The health department only receives 100 doses of primary vaccine per week,” said Hoberecht. She noted that media reports indicate the county received 500 doses recently, but not all of those went to the health department.

“There are more doses coming into Pawnee County,” Hoberecht said. “But some of them are going to the correctional and mental health facility and the state hospital, which means the doses are not available to the general public.”