By Adam Strunk
COVID-19 cases are back up in Harvey County.
One-hundred-fourteen new cases of COVID-19 in the county broke a five-week trend of declining infections.
As of Oct. 11, the county has 116 active cases, up 38 from the week prior.
Two residents are hospitalized. The county recorded a new death from the disease, bringing the total to 80 residents who have died from COVID-19.
The percent of people testing with positive results inched up to 7.8 percent in the week.
Of the new cases ,34 percent occurred in those already vaccinated, with 66 percent affecting those without a vaccine.
Thirty-one percent of new cases were with those under 19.
The county’s most vulnerable demographic, those over 80, had 16 new cases this week of COVID-19.
The health department reported a new cluster at Kansas Christian Home, with nine individuals affected.
Currently, 59 percent of eligible residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine; 50.2 percent of the total population is vaccinated.
Booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine have already been approved for the elderly and high risk populations.
The FDA will meet this week to discuss approving a booster shot for Moderna, the more common vaccination in the area, as well as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fewer than one percent of those who contracted the virus after being vaccinated (19,000) have been hospitalized or died from the disease.
