Allen County’s positive COVID-19 cases jumped by 13 this week, increasing the total to 43 cases since the pandemic began.
That’s a significant increase of about 30%, and coincides with a return to in-person classes at local schools and Allen Community College.
USD 257 officials announced last week at least three students had tested positive for the virus.
ACC announced its testing procedures led to 12 people being quarantined since classes began Aug. 17. It was not known how many of those cases would have been counted in this week’s total.
Three Allen County cases have led to hospitalizations, and one person remains in the hospital, according to a weekly report from the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments.
The county’s total includes four people who live out of state but are staying in Allen County, and seven presumptive cases. 
A presumptive test means the virus was detected in a rapid antigen test, county health director Rebecca Johnson said. At one point, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment did not count some of the presumptive cases, but they are included in the county’s total. That accounts for a discrepancy between the health department’s total and the state’s total. The KDHE website lists the county’s total cases at 34 as of Wednesday.
Other area counties also have reported significant increases in case totals.
Anderson County saw 12 new cases this week, increasing the total to 49, with one hospitalization.
Bourbon County had 17 new cases for a total of 103 and two deaths.
Woodson County saw no new cases. Its total is 12.
On Wednesday, Kansas reported 496 new cases and 10 additional deaths in the previous two days. The total number of cases was 47,410 with 495 deaths.
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