photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Jan. 8 COVID-19 update from the health department

Douglas County reported 7,046 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday, an increase of 72 cases since Thursday.

In Douglas County, 5,960 out of the 7,046 cases are inactive or beyond the infectious period, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, meaning 1,086 cases are active.

The county has averaged about 56 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 56.07 new cases per day is down from a recent high of 78 cases per day in mid-November and up from a recent low of 17 cases per day in mid-October.

Douglas County has a 14-day COVID-19 incidence rate of 652.59 per 100,000 people.

Twenty-three patients at Lawrence’s hospital had COVID-19 on Friday, two more than Thursday. To date, 36 Douglas County residents have died of COVID-19.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s online map noted that 51,207 Douglas County residents had been tested for the disease so far. The county’s testing rate per 1,000 people was 418.8.