Sedgwick County passes 1,000 cases of COVID-19 with record-breaking increase in cases

Sedgwick County has now passed 1,000 total cases of COVID-19 after record-breaking increases in new cases and active cases.

The Sedgwick County Health Department’s COVID-19 dashboard showed increases in several key indicators of the spread of coronavirus in the Wichita area.

The 43 new cases reported on Thursday broke the two-day-old record for most in one day. The county’s total is now 1,001 cases since the pandemic hit Kansas.

The 36 more active cases reported on Thursday broke the two-day-old record, which had been a tie, for most in a day. The total is 349.

There were two new deaths reported on Thursday. The total is 28.

There were five new recoveries. The total is 624.

The county does not report daily hospitalization numbers.

The number of tests increased by 650, which put the total at 26,316. As testing increases, so does the percentage of tests that come back positive. The rolling 14-day average was 4.28% for Wednesday, up from 3.72% on Tuesday.

The county also reported one more cluster at a nursing home. A county spokesperson did not release additional information on the cluster before The Eagle’s print deadline.

There have now been five outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the county. There have been a total of 14 clusters in the county, and they are responsible for 25 of the deaths.

Active cases have nearly tripled since the state and local economies reopened without mandatory restrictions in late May.

The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas announced on Thursday that its offices in Wichita and Butler and Sumner counties are closed to the public until further notice after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. Virtual services are available by calling 316-771-6800 or visiting https://workforce-ks.com/virtual-career-center.

This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 4:31 PM.