Coronavirus updates: Kansas sees 5,089 more cases and 59 deaths

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 5,089 COVID-19 cases and 59 deaths since Monday.

Wednesday’s report brings the Kansas total to 209,689 cases and 2,507 deaths.

The KDHE has been reporting COVID-19 numbers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays since mid-May but will not report numbers on Friday because of the Christmas holiday. Officials have warned against large gatherings for the holiday, fearing a spike in cases and additional patients in the bustling hospitals.

The number of patients being admitted or already hospitalized with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 have both reached record highs in December, according to KDHE data going back to mid-July. There have been more than 1,000 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 adult patients in Kansas hospitals each day since mid-November.

New hospitalizations increased by 157 in Wednesday’s report, bringing the total to 6,424.

It took a little more than seven months during the pandemic to reach 3,200 hospitalizations related to COVID-19. Doubling that to the current number took about 2.5 months.

Cases and deaths have also experienced large growths in recent months.

December has seen 13.6% of COVID-19 tests come back positive. November had a record high of 17.3%. April’s 13.7% was the only other whole month to break double-digits.

Sedgwick County

The KDHE reported Sedgwick County deaths increased by 12 to 349 from Monday. Sedgwick County reports 251 deaths. Both entities say their numbers are accurate.

Sedgwick County hospitals reported a drop in total COVID-19 patients from the week before during Monday’s weekly report. But COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) increased from the prior week and Wichita area hospitals continue to be maxed out of ICU beds. The ICU beds have been filled since the beginning of November.

The KDHE shows Sedgwick County has the most COVID-19 cases in the state, with 36,975.