Riley County confirms four new positive COVID-19 cases

AJ Dome, The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.
·3 min read

Mar. 1—Four more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Riley County.

Riley County Health Department officials said Monday they identified four new coronavirus cases, and 57 more people have recovered since the last report Friday. One patient who tested positive is being cared for at Ascension Via Christi hospital, and the hospital has no positive patients in intensive care.

The total number of active cases in the county is up to 64, with 33 virus-related deaths. The total number of positive cases among Riley County residents is at 6,189. Another 6,092 people have recovered from the virus in total. The rate of positive tests has remained below 5% for the past four weeks.

The total number of cases for Geary County is up to 3,025 as of Monday — an increase of eight confirmed cases since Friday. Pottawatomie County's number of cases also went up, to 1,755, increasing by nine cases from Friday.

Statewide, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recorded 639 new coronavirus cases since Friday. Eight more deaths have been reported, and 41 people have been admitted to a hospital for symptoms of the virus over the weekend. In Kansas, more than 4,700 people have died because of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state is now at 294,302, while 9,290 people have been hospitalized.

The month of February saw a high number of 68 cases in a single report on Feb. 1; Riley County reported a total of 251 new cases from Feb. 1-26. The number of new cases dropped to single digits through the month of February, and the Mercury reported on Saturday local health officials are being "cautiously optimistic" about this downward trend in figures.

Riley County health officials said 5,562 residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 3,566 people have been fully vaccinated. This includes healthcare workers, emergency responders, children and care center workers, and adults over age 65. This week the health department will administer the second doses, or booster shots, to people who were vaccinated between Dec. 22 and Feb. 4.

Officials administered 870 shots to employees and students at Kansas State University on Friday, at the university's first vaccination clinic on campus. Lafene Health Center director Jim Parker said in a statement the clinic was "very successful," and more vaccine clinics will help the university move onto the third phase of the Kansas vaccine distribution plan.

"This is a large and important undertaking to help keep every Wildcat a Wellcat," Parker said.

University officials said they're planning more vaccinations in the future, as they receive vaccine doses from the county. K-State studentsand employees who are interested in getting a vaccine must complete a survey on the Lafene Health Center website.

A mobile COVID-19 testing event will be in Leonardville on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Healthcare workers will administer vaccines during that time on an invite-only basis to Leonardville residents who meet the criteria.