Unprecedented outbreak again slows slightly; 10 new cases Monday
Staff writer
Marion County's sudden surge in coronavirus cases, which began around Halloween, continued on a slightly lessened scale Monday with disclosure of 10 new cases.
The new cases bring to 420 the total number of COVD-19 cases in the county, an increase of 47 in the past seven days. Until a month ago, the maximum number of new cases reported in any seven-day period had been just 21. The seven-day total reached 31 on Halloween and had been above 80 for more than a week until Friday's figures lowered it to 70 and Monday's lowered it to 47.
The county has reported 21% more new cases of COVID-19 since Nov. 1 than it did in the entire first six months of the pandemic, starting April 1.
Data released Monday by the county health department indicate that the county's infection rate stands at 35.3 per 1,000 residents, up 4.0 from where it was a week ago. An increase of just 1.0 in any seven-day period puts a county on a federal list of "red zones." In many areas, visitors to "red zone" counties are required to quarantine after they return home.
Among county residents tested for COVID-19 by any means in the past 14 days, 45.3% have tested positive. To prevent spread of the disease from the overall community into public schools, the Kansas Department of Education recommends that all in-person classes be canceled when the 14-day positivity rate for a community is above just 10%, less than one-fourth the positivity rate Marion County is experiencing.
The county never has released information about where local victims live. It now has ceased providing information about their age and gender and limits all reporting to totals delivered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening. Totals reported by the county typically are two days ahead of totals listed on state websites.
Last modified Nov. 24, 2020