The Superior Express -

South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) officials reported 40 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in four days (Friday through Monday), bringing the cumulative total number of cases in the four-county health district to 690. The new confirmed cases for the four-day period include: 34 in Adams, four in Clay, and two in Webster. By county, the cumulative totals are: 574 cases in Adams, 80 cases in Clay, 15 cases in Nuckolls, and 21 cases in Webster.

In addition to the case counts for the past four days, health officials reported the total new cases for the week ending Sept. 26. “There were 54 South Heartland residents who tested positive last week,” said Michele Bever, SHDHD executive director. “This is the seventh straight week the case numbers have increased over the week before,” she said.

“Our percent positive tests (positivity) increased to 14.5 percent for the week ending Saturday, Sept. 26, up from 10.1 percent the previous week.” The positivity by county was 14.2 percent in Adams, 19.4 percent in Clay, 11.1 percent in Nuckolls and 14.3 percent in Webster.

Bever also reported three South Heartland residents were admitted to area hospitals in the past eight days because of COVID-19 symptoms.

“We urge residents to take action now to turn these trends around,” Bever said. “The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating in our district, and at increasingly higher levels. The simple things we can do to prevent the spread, and to protect each other and our community, are to wear a cloth face covering whenever possible, to keep physically distanced from others, to stay home when we have any symptoms, to avoid crowds, to wash our hands and to disinfect frequently-touched surfaces,” she said.

“We are asking all residents to consider those around them and to take the ‘I’ll protect you, you protect me’ approach to COVID-19 prevention,” she said.