photo by: Jae C. Hong/AP File

In this Nov. 19, 2020, file photo, a nurse works on a computer while assisting a COVID-19 patient at a hospital in Los Angeles. Across the country, doctors and nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic are dealing with hostility, threats and violence from patients angry over safety rules designed to keep the virus from spreading.

After adding nearly 1,600 new COVID-19 cases to the tally last week alone — the highest-recorded amount in Douglas County since the start of the pandemic — Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health data showed a slight tapering off Monday afternoon with just 310 new cases recorded since Friday.

Monday’s update brings Douglas County’s cumulative case count since March 2020 to 17,690, according to the health department’s data.

Of that total, 3,323 are active cases, and 18 individuals are in-patient hospitalizations at LMH Health. Since the health department’s last update, three new deaths due to COVID have been reported among Douglas County residents — a female in the 45-54 year category and two males in the 75-84 year category. The total number of COVID deaths in Douglas County since the start of the pandemic now sits at 115.

In its Monday COVID-19 update, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health encouraged residents to continue to follow updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Douglas County remains in the “red” transmission category.

Under that category, the health department’s recent emergency public health order requiring anyone age 2 or older to wear a face covering while inside public spaces in the county, which took effect Jan. 7, still stands. The 14-day rolling average daily case count used to guide the decision has increased from 142 as of Friday to 214.64 as of Monday.

The health department also continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for all individuals age 5 and older, and booster shots for adults or children 12 and older who received doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

To schedule a free booster shot, visit www.ldchealth.org, or call 785-843-0721 for questions or help with registering. Booster shots are also accessible at pharmacies and doctors’ offices throughout the county.