Positive COVID test percentage passes 10% for first time since May 2 in Sedgwick County

The percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive in Sedgwick County passed 10% for the first time in more than two months.

The Sedgwick County Health Department’s COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday showed the most recent positive test percentage was 11.16%. That number, which was for Monday, marks the first time the value passed 10% since May 2, when it was 10.89%. Monday’s number was the highest value since April 30, when it was 11.3%.

The percentage of tests that come back positive is based on a rolling 14-day average. It had been 9.95% on Sunday, but that number was revised down to 9.23%.

The rising rate indicates that the increase in cases is not solely due to an increase in testing, public health officials have said.

The 10% mark is where some states issue quarantines for travelers, such as New York did for Kansas a week ago. Sedgwick County’s numbers were frequently above 10% in April as the state was under a lockdown. The percentage declined for most of May, hitting a low of 0.99% on May 26 and May 27, when the state and local economies reopened without restrictions.

The county health department reported 63 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, raising the cumulative count to 2,219. There have been 940 recoveries, an increase of 57 in one day. Active cases rose by six to 1,251.

No new deaths were reported, keeping the total at 28. No deaths have been reported in the county since June 25.

The number of people tested increased by 619, putting the total at 40,365.

Of the 63 new cases, 58 are still under investigation for the source of exposure to the virus. Epidemiologists determined the other five patients were in close contact with another confirmed case of COVID-19.

More than half of the new cases were people between the ages of 20 and 39 years old. The 33 new cases in that age group puts it at 910 total, which accounts for about 41% of all confirmed cases in the county.

The infant to 19 age group increased by four to 303, the 40-59 age group increased by 13 to 592, the 60-79 age group increased by 10 to 297 and the 80 and older age group increased by three to 117.

In other coronavirus pandemic news:

Harvey County Commission changes course, requires masks

The Harvey County Commission voted Tuesday to mandate masks after first only recommending people wear one on July 2. Since the recommendation, Harvey County’s COVID-19 cases have more than doubled to 91, the county had a death and health officials announced community spread of the virus — meaning people were infected within the county. On July 10, Harvey County started requiring its employees and visitors to wear masks inside government buildings.

The mask mandate takes effect Wednesday and will be in place through August 11. The mandate could be extended or cut short.

Newman University announces reopening plan

Newman University announced its plan for returning to in-person classes for the fall semester. Changes include rearranging class schedules and moving some classes to larger rooms to allow for social distancing. Students will be asked to wear masks.

The Labor Day and fall break closings have been canceled. Most classes will move to online only the week of Thanksgiving. Student housing has been changed to only one person in a room.

Additional information is available online at newmanu.edu/return-to-campus.

Traffic court reopens

Sedgwick County District Court has resumed traffic court operations with an outdoor walk-up docket in front of the courthouse at 525 N. Main. The walk-up docket is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the rest of the month.

KDHE removes states from travel quarantine list

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has removed Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina from its travel quarantine list. The only states remaining on the list are Florida and Arizona.

The list was also changed to include international travel to countries with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plus Bahrain and French Guiana. Previously, all international travelers were subject to the 14-day quarantine. Cruise ship travelers also must quarantine.

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 4:39 PM.