Number of Kansas counties at CDC’s high COVID community level falls to zero, 12 at medium

Lindsay Smith

No Kansas counties are at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s high COVID-19 community level as of Friday, compared to last week’s four.

Two counties of the four that were at high last week are now at a medium level, while the other two are at low.

This week, 12 Kansas counties are at medium community level, and Sedgwick County remains at low for another week.

The CDC updates the metric each Thursday for U.S. counties and bases the assessment on the number of new cases and hospitalizations per 100,000 people (seven-day totals) and the percent of staffed hospital beds occupied by COVID-positive patients (a seven-day average).

The Kansas county COVID community level map, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Kansas county COVID community level map, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Sedgwick County positive COVID test rate is up to 9%, compared to last week’s 7.8%, according to data from the county health department. The rate accounts for the 14-day average of recorded positives over the total number administered and does not include at-home tests and those not reported to the Sedgwick County Health Department.

There have been 146 positive tests reported to the county in the last seven days, and the highest reported in a single day was 33 cases Feb. 13.

Sedgwick County remains at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s “substantial” COVID rate, meaning it reports 50 to 99 cases per 100,000 individuals. Twenty-four counties are at the high rate this week, compared to last week’s 18.

Kansas’ bivalent COVID booster rate is just 15.8%. These counties have lowest uptake

Protecting yourself against COVID-19

To protect yourself from contracting the virus, the CDC recommends the following preventative measures:

  • Avoid physical contact with people who have tested positive or have a suspected case of COVID-19

  • Wear a mask when necessary

  • Keep physically distanced when possible

If you start to develop symptoms of the virus, get tested and seek medical attention if needed.

If you test positive for COVID-19, isolate at home and wear a high-quality mask if you have to be around others there.

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