Recent numbers from Lyon County Public Health point to an ongoing spike in cases that is now several weeks old.
Lyon County Public Health Incident Commander Renee Hively says weekly caseloads were increasing by 60-70 in October and in November before Thanksgiving. Since that holiday, the average is around 185 a week, and that will increase after nearly 150 cases were reported between Friday and Monday coupled with 115 new cases Monday to Wednesday. Hively says it’s a busy time under normal circumstances.
Public Health and Flint Hills Community Health Center staffers have been able to benefit from hazard pay and retention bonuses as well as what Hively calls “market rate adjustments,” but she says that approach isn’t sustainable long-term.
Besides processing new caseload activity, Public Health is also handling COVID tests, and Hively says one person is currently responsible for collecting over 20 tests per day. Public Health is training others to help, which will increase the number of people who can get tested.
Hively also says residents awaiting word on their COVID tests need to be patient because Public Health is awaiting their status from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Right now, 150 tests just from Lyon County patients are awaiting final determination.
Lyon County’s next data release will be Friday afternoon.
