The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department on Tuesday announced that the COVID-19 Risk Dial will remain in mid-yellow, meaning the risk of the virus spreading in the community is moderate.
The department says cases have increased slightly from the previous week, from 397 cases to 422 cases for the week ending May 21. The local positivity rate decreased from 14% to 12.3% for the same time period.
Data shows no significant changes in COVID-19 hospitalizations. There has been a decline from a seven-day average of 23 patients on May 14 to an average of 19 on May 23. On Tuesday local hospitals report 19 COVID-19 patients with 16 from Lancaster County.
First booster doses were recently approved for children 5 through 11 years old. The health department is currently awaiting final guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will provide additional details on offering booster doses to this age group soon.
More than 67% of all Lancaster County residents are fully vaccinated and about 60% of those eligible for a first booster have received one.