Preliminary reports from the state health department show that Monroe County’s positivity rate for all COVID-19 tests, which had declined between early September and early October after a peak, continues to rise. Statewide, however, the positivity rate increase is on a steeper climb.

Monroe County’s seven-day average for all tests from the period ending Oct. 16 was listed Friday as 3.7%. That’s up from 2.2% a week before.

On Friday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported on its online dashboard that a total of 110,927 tests had been administered to 50,834 individuals residing in Monroe County since Feb. 29. A total of 3,266 of those tests were positive, and 38 county residents have died.

A steady stream of daily new cases has been reported for county residents. Friday’s preliminary batch of 10 cases is the lowest daily number since mid-August. The dashboards for long-term care facilities and schools have shown few new cases for individuals in those settings in recent weeks. Those cases are self-reported by each facility.

Surrounding rural counties also have seen a rise in new cases. In Lawrence County, due to a recent rise in cases, one school district has reverted to a hybrid education plan and another has canceled the remainder of its football season. The state’s online dashboard shows a steep rise in new Lawrence County cases over the past week and a rising positivity rate. The seven-day rate for all tests for the period ending Oct. 16 is 10.5%.
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