Kansas saw for the second day in-a-row its largest rise in new infections of COVID-19 from Wednesday to Thursday.

The Kansas Department of Health & Environment says that 271 Kansans tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours–the largest daily statewide gain since the pandemic started.

As of 9:45 a.m. Thursday, the KDHE says that 2,482 people statewide have tested positive for COVID-19, with 112 deaths. Although new cases of the virus have accelerated over the last 48 hours, hospitalization rates from the virus continue to be low, as 442 people are on record of needing to be hospitalized due to the virus.

Population centers continue to have the most COVID-19 activity in the state, as Wyandotte County (484 cases), Johnson County (403 cases) and Sedgwick County (314 cases) lead the state with the most infections. However, southwest Kansas is also having issues of community spread of the disease, as Finney, Ford and Seward counties account for 500 cases between the three counties alone.

In central Kansas, Saline County has now gone three-consecutive days–and six of the last seven days–without a new known case of the virus. Saline County continues at 17 cases and 344 people tested for COVID-19. In other counties around the area, McPherson County has now gone multiple days with no new cases as they hold tight at 19, Marion County stays put with five, Ottawa County has no new cases with three and Dickinson County remains with one case.

However, Rice County picked up its first case of COVID-19 within the past 24 hours. Ellsworth and Lincoln counties do not yet have a known positive case of the virus.

As of Thursday morning, 18,836 Kansans have tested negative for COVID-19.

Follow Weekly COVID-19 Updates:

• Monday, April 20: 1,986 cases of COVID-19, 100 deaths and 16,775 people have tested negative for the disease.
• Tuesday, April 21: 2,025 cases of COVID-19, 107 deaths and 17,076 people have tested negative for the disease.
• Wednesday, April 22: 2,211 cases of COVID-19, 110 deaths and 17,992 people have tested negative for the disease.
• Thursday, April 23: 2,482 cases of COVID-19, 112 deaths and 18,836 people have tested negative for the disease.