photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Coronavirus numbers in Douglas County have seen a precipitous drop over the weekend, with only 51 new cases added since Friday.

That small cluster of new cases brings the county’s cumulative COVID-19 case count since March of 2020 to 24,978, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health’s latest COVID data.

Other numbers have dropped across the board. The active case count has fallen by more than 300 cases and is 1,347 as of Monday afternoon. Thanks to the decline in new cases over the weekend, the county’s 14-day moving average daily case count has also declined and is now 54.43.

The county is still in the “red zone” according to the health department’s community transmission indicator, however. The 14-day moving average will need to drop below 50 and the active case count below 1,000 before that status will change.

COVID hospitalizations at LMH Health are also down, dropping from 16 inpatients as of Friday to nine as of Monday.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health continues to encourage community members to follow updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and also urges them to get vaccinated. The health department administers vaccinations and booster doses at the clinic on the first floor of the Community Health Building, 200 Maine St., for adults and for eligible children.

To register for an appointment, visit ldchealth.org/getmyvaccine. Those interested in an appointment can also call 785-843-0721 for help with registering or with additional questions. Shots are also widely available at various pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

The health department also offers information about where to go to get tested for COVID in Douglas County on its website.

Additionally, KDHE has a COVID testing site at the former Payless Shoe location at 1540 Wakarusa Drive. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.