COVID-19 cases on the rise again

After a relatively quiet spring and early summer, the number of active coronavirus cases in Lincoln County appears to be on the rise.

Jennifer McCully, public health manager, said on Aug. 6 that the county had averaged between seven and 10 new cases a day for about a week. As of Aug. 9, there were 62 active cases.

The percentage of positive tests in the county has climbed from a recent low of 1.4 percent on July 3 to 17.8 percent on July 31, according to the county’s COVID-19 information site. The county’s 14 day case rate has also risen from a recent low of roughly 20 people per 100,000 on July 12 to approximately 371 people per 100,000 on Aug. 2.

The county has seen three more deaths due to the virus since July 24. McCully said two of the victims had not received coronavirus vaccinations. Out of the county’s 21 total deaths, 12 have been over 80 years old, four have been in their 70s, three have been in their 60s and one was in their 30s.

As of yet, the county has only seen one reported case of the delta variant of the virus. McCully said this figure could change as state officials responsible for sequencing samples were a week or two behind.