photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Sept. 3 COVID-19 update from the health department

A ninth Douglas County resident has died from COVID-19, according to the health department’s update about the virus on Thursday.

Previously, Douglas County announced that eight people — three residents in their 70s and five residents in their 80s — had died from COVID-19 or with the virus as a contributing factor in their deaths.

This week’s death was a woman in the 85-plus age range who was not hospitalized, health department spokesperson George Diepenbrock said.

“With the addition of one COVID-19-related death in our community, we send our deepest condolences to the families and friends,” Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health Director Dan Partridge said. “Protecting those most vulnerable in our community is why it is important for everyone to take precautions right now, including wearing (masks) and (practicing) social distancing, to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.”

Douglas County has reported 1,508 cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday, an increase of 35 cases since Wednesday.

Out of the 1,508 cases, 977 are inactive or beyond the infectious period, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

The county has averaged about 27 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 27 new cases per day is down from a recent high of about 43 cases per day at the end of August and up significantly from a recent low of about nine cases per day in early August.

Four patients at Lawrence’s hospital had COVID-19 on Thursday, one fewer than Wednesday.

photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Sept. 3 COVID-19 test positivity rate in Douglas County