TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is seeing increasingly larger numbers of new COVID-19 cases and a surge in cases of the faster-spreading delta variant as one Kansas City-area county prepares to launch a new phase of its vaccine lottery.
The state averaged 371 new cases a day for the seven days ending Monday, according to state Department of Health and Environment data. That was the highest figure in more than four months, since the agency’s data showed an average of 404 new cases a day for the seven days ending Feb. 26.
The state reported 672 new cases since Friday, bringing the total to more than 321,000, or one case for each of its 2.9 million residents.
The state health department reported a nearly 28% increase in confirmed cases of the delta variant, up 143 cases to 659. Confirming cases of COVID-19 variants requires genetic testing, and so far this month, labs have done it for 8.8% of the state’s positive COVID-19 tests.
In Wyandotte County, the health department already was entering people who got inoculated at its largest vaccination site in daily raffles for $500 gift cards. The department said that starting Wednesday, it also will let people spin for instant prizes.