Following is the Saline County COVID-19 update for Monday.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case reported in Saline County. Thankfully, the number of new cases and hospitalizations have fallen dramatically since their peak just a few short months ago. Vaccines are becoming more and more available. The public health order has been allowed to expire, while the mask mandate continues to offer a line of defense as we hope to be near the end of this pandemic.
It is important to stay vigilant and continue to practice the safety measures that have helped flatten the curve of this outbreak. County health officials continue to keep a close watch on the COVID variants that have begun to appear closer and closer to home. We appreciate everyone who has done their part to keep our community healthy.
We are happy to share that no additional deaths due to COVID-19have been reported since our March 22 update. Salina Regional Health Center has notified us that they currently have one patient hospitalized battling COVID-19.
There have been 10 new positive COVID-19 cases reported in Saline County since our last update on March 26, which brings the total number of positive cases for Saline County to 6,061.
The Health Department staff are now actively monitoring 88 cases. At least 5,865 people have recovered, but sadly 108 members of our community have lost their lives to this deadly virus. Our dashboard has been updated with the latest information:
According to the Kansas Department of Health & Environment Coronavirus Website, there have been 301,862 cases and 4,902 deaths statewide.
Following the proven public health guidance to slow the spread of COVID-19 continues to be extremely important for everyone to do. Please:
1. Wash your hands often, for at least 20 seconds with warm soapy water. Use hand sanitizer if you do not have access to soap and water.
2. Maintain physical distance between yourself and others of at least 6 feet or more.
3. Wear masks in public spaces as required by City Ordinance and County Resolution. You must cover your nose and mouth for masks to be effective.
4. Sanitize frequently touched surfaces and areas such as doorknobs, handles, cell phones, tablets, etc.
5. Stay home if you are sick. Regardless if you think it may be a cold, it could be allergies, but it also could be something worse.
Only follow official sources to obtain information: www.saline.org/coronavirus or www.kdheks.gov