Weekly COVID-19 Update: Johnson County sees decline in new COVID-19 cases

Editor’s Note: In an effort to keep our readers informed of COVID-19 trends across Johnson County, the Shawnee Mission Post each Wednesday will publish a weekly update detailing the latest news and trends related to the novel coronavirus in our area. This is our second report.

The Shawnee Mission Post is making much of its local coverage of the coronavirus pandemic accessible to non-subscribers. (If you value having a news source covering the situation in our community, we hope you’ll consider subscribing here).

The percent positive test rate for COVID-19 in Johnson County is down this week, along with a drop in new cases.

In his update to the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday, Johnson County Department of Health and Environment Director Sanmi Areola noted the county has experienced a drop in new weekly infections, averaging about 91 new COVID-19 infections per day.

There were 640 new cases reported for the week of Oct. 4, down about 5% from the 673 cases the week prior. The percentage positives decreased to 5.9%, down from last week’s 6.4%. (Last week, JCDHE changed how it calculates percent positivity, leading to a dramatic one-time drop in the reported rate. Read this explanation behind the change.)

Key Trends

The cases per 100,000 residents is down over the last week from 233 about to 225. While new cases saw a decline there was a 7% increase in total deaths last week, with 11 new deaths. There was also a slight uptick in hospitalizations. All data from the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 dashboard. We included data that was available as of October 14.

There were no notable differences in case demographics over the past week. Charts above detailing the demographics of individuals who have tested positive via JCDHE’s COVID-19 dashboard. Accessed October 14.

Halloween tips

The Johnson County Local Health Officer Joseph LeMaster provided tips to safely celebrate Halloween this year in an online video. LeMaster urged residents to practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, and set aside any candy collected during trick-or-treating events for a few days since it would have been handled by several different people.

Below you will find links to the Shawnee Mission Post’s COVID-19 coverage from the last week, along with notable news releases from Johnson County.

RECENT COVID-19 COVERAGE

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM JOHNSON COUNTY

Click here to see a calendar of Johnson County COVID-19 testing events.