Covid-19 cases are declining in Riley County

RILEY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) - Riley County has moved down to the “moderate” level for COVID-19 cases for the first time since May 20.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) said Wednesday Riley County had 18 new cases from Sept. 17 to 23. This represents a rate of 24.2 cases per 100,000 people, putting Riley County in the moderate incidence category with 10-49 cases per 100,000 people. The total does not include any at-home test results. The levels are low (less than 10), moderate, substantial (50-99) and high (100 or more).

KDHE also reported one additional death in Riley County. An 86-year-old, fully vaccinated woman died on Sept. 2 after she began displaying symptoms on Aug. 31. She represents the 96th COVID-related death in Riley County. Riley County health officials said Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan had no COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday as this was the second consecutive week the hospital reported zero COVID patients.

Public health clinic supervisor, Dr. Jacob Clarke, said that with COVID being around for a while and the boosters helping, a decrease was bound to happen. ”A couple of things I think is one that between the boosters and the treatment and the behavior modification that those things are working. It also means that the strain of COVID that we have in the community has been here for quite a while; its that omicron b, 4b, 5. It’s been on the scene here in Kansas for several months and again its almost exclusively the same that’s been sequence by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for at least the last month,” said Clarke. Clarke also mentioned how people need to be aware of the winter season coming for the risk of COVID to be a lot higher.

The Riley County Health Department continues to administer COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses. The department has given out over 600 bivalent booster vaccines in the last couple weeks. People can get flu and COVID-19 vaccine at the same appointment. Vaccines and other immunizations are available at the Riley County health clinic at 2030 Tecumseh Road.

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