Increases continued for overall and active coronavirus cases in Lyon County Friday.
Lyon County Public Health reported 46 new cases bringing the overall case total to 4,752. 24 recoveries were reported meaning the active total increased from 130 to 152 between Wednesday and Friday.
Deaths were unchanged at 88 with four active hospitalizations, also unchanged from Wednesday.
According to the USD 253 Emporia COVID-19 dashboard, there were four new positive cases identified in staff over the past week bringing the total to 10. 18 new cases were identified in students bringing that total to 28.
There is only one staff member currently in-home quarantine due to a COVID-19 infection which is unchanged from last week. However; the number of students in home quarantine increased sharply from 11 to 54 with 96 students in modified quarantine which is an increase of 82 over the past week. So far 46 vaccinated students have returned to school following exposure to the virus.
The latest round of data comes as hesitance about COVID mitigation matters, in place since the pandemic started 17 months ago, has become increasingly strident or belligerent as the delta variant has taken hold. Recent social media traffic prompted the Flint Hills Community Health Center to adopt a new policy where the Health Center and Lyon County Public Health can remove comments deemed inappropriate, whether harassing, defamatory, hostile or vulgar in nature. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Director Jennifer Millbern says the need for the adjusted policy has been evident the last two months or so.
Millbern says the increasing social media divide is also evident with residents unwilling offer information on their close contacts, with reactions ranging from simple phone hang-ups to verbal “lashings.” Millbern says those actions are not helpful, either to the disease investigation process or the community as a whole.
