photo by: Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health’s latest coronavirus data released Wednesday adds another two deaths to Douglas County’s tally.

The two deaths were a woman between 75 and 84 years old and a man in the 85-and-older category. Along with another death reported in the health department’s last update May 19, a woman in the 85-and-older category, the county has now seen 143 COVID deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Other statistics have continued on a slight decline in recent days; the county’s 14-day average daily case count is now 39, and the number of active cases sits at 814. One of those cases is hospitalized at LMH Health. In total, there have been 27,848 COVID cases in the county since March of 2020.

The health department also announced Wednesday that it will be decreasing the frequency of its data reporting to once per week on Wednesdays. On social media, the health department confirmed it may increase its reporting again if needed in the future, and up-to-date COVID data is always available at ldchealth.org/covid.

The health department continues to recommend that Douglas County residents follow updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, and also encourages the public to get vaccinated. As of last week, booster dose eligibility was expanded to include children ages 5 to 11. The health department has already hosted some booster clinics for that age group and has said it plans to host more in the future.

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 eligible children. They’ll also host a drive-thru booster clinic for people 50 and older Friday from 9 a.m. to noon at LMH Health. Those interested in registering can do so at ldchealth.org/getmyvaccine with the code “20220527” or by calling (785) 843-0721.