photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Sept. 2 COVID-19 update from the health department

Douglas County has reported 1,473 cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, an increase of 53 cases since Tuesday.

Of the 1,473 cases, 956 are inactive or beyond the infectious period, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

The county has averaged about 29 new cases per day over the last 14 days, according to a 14-day moving average graph updated weekdays by the health department. The current average of 29 new cases per day is down from a recent high of about 42 cases per day at the end of August and up significantly from a low of about nine cases per day in early August.

Five patients at Lawrence’s hospital had COVID-19 on Wednesday, two fewer than Tuesday.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s online map noted that 25,415 Douglas County residents had been tested for the disease so far. The county’s testing rate per 1,000 people was 207.9. On Wednesday, Douglas County had the second-highest testing rate per 1,000 people out of all the counties, following Ford County.

Eight Douglas County residents have died thus far from COVID-19 or with the virus as a contributing factor in their deaths.