photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Douglas County has added 165 new COVID-19 cases in the past two days, bringing the total number of cases since March of 2020 to 24,630, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.

The county has 2,703 active cases as of Friday afternoon. The number of inpatients hospitalized for COVID at LMH Health has dropped slightly from 20 as of Wednesday to 17 on Friday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 129 COVID deaths have been reported in the county.

The county’s daily case count, based on a 14-day moving average, has dropped by 23 to 120.07. However, LMH Health professionals have called for continued caution as the county is still in the “red zone,” which is based on there being more than 50 new cases per day on average and the active case count exceeding 1,000.

“It’s important to remember that the rolling 14-day average of new cases in the county is still quite high — nearly twice the previous peak in 2020,” said Rebecca Smith, a spokeswoman for the hospital, earlier this week.

On Wednesday, the Douglas County Commission extended the county’s mask mandate in indoor public spaces through March 2. It applies to everyone 2 and older.

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 recently opened a new 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.