There have been 123 new COVID cases in Saline County since Wednesday and no new deaths.

According to the Saline County Health Department, there are currently 1,006 active cases in the community.

Salina Regional Health Center reports that 19 patients require hospitalization related to COVID-19.

There have been 201 COVID related deaths overall.

During the month of January, 3,510 cases were reported to the Saline County Health Department; shattering the previous record for monthly cases, which was just over 1,700 in December 2020.

As always, this number does not include those who used at-home or over-the-counter test kits, nor those who did not get tested.

Due to this overwhelming number of cases in our county, only the guardians of those under 18 or who requested a notice for their employer were slated for contact. Many case investigations were deferred to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Caseworkers continue to follow up on those priority cases.

Unfortunately, reliable vaccination data is not available for these cases.

A significant portion of our community suffered at the hands of COVID this month, experiencing physical COVID symptoms as well as social issues like time away from work and other activities.

The Saline County Health Department is adopting all the KDHE guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation as written.

The agency formally requests that employers accept at-home (also known as over-the-counter) COVID-19 test results to excuse employee absences due to a nationwide test kit shortage.

Wait times for routine testing can take an extended period of time to schedule and receive results. If time is a factor, PCR testing is a poor option compared to home testing. Additionally, it takes dearly needed supplies away from the medical community when it is in short supply.

The best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 and thus prevent mutation of the virus is:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Get testedif you feel unwell, even if you don’t believe it is COVID.
• You can find testing centers at VaccinateSalineCountyKS.com/testing or contact your local medical provider.
• Get vaccinated. You can find a vaccine at vaccines.gov or contact your local medical provider.
• Wear a mask, especially if you are not fully vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, wear a mask when indoors in crowded spaces.
• Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and those with whom you do not live.
• Do not travel to “hot spots.”

If you test positive, isolate immediately and be open and honest with COVID caseworkers about your contacts.