(KLZA)-- Following a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Nebraska in the past month,  it appears the number of cases has slowed down within the jurisdiction of the Southeast District Health Department.

SEDHD Director Grant Brueggemann said that even though the number of cases is trending lower,  the earlier spike in cases has led to more deaths being reported in the five-county area.  Brueggemann says that was to be expected with the large number of cases in the past 30 days.  There have now been 2,387 cases,  821 of those in the past 30 days. 29 deaths within the SEDHD area have been attributed to COVID-19.  

Brueggemann urges area residents to continue to take precautions against the spread of coronavirus to prevent another spike in cases even as the number of cases has begun to trend downward.  

Community Medical Center Administrator Ryan Larsen said during his weekly update that the number of people hospitalized locally with COVID-19 and in general have gone down in the past week. 

Last week there were 6 or 8 and even more COVID patients in the hospital in Falls City with overall  patients number in the high teens.

Monday Larsen reported just two COVID patients hospitalized locally and just 11 total patients.  

Larsen says the hospital is prepared if the numbers start to climb again. 

In the past week there were 41 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Richardson County bringing the total to 478. 180 of those cases have been confirmed in the past 30 days.

In Pawnee County there were 23 new cases bringing the total to 140.  Nemaha County, Nebraska had an additional 61 cases pushing the total to 485.  Johnson County reported 57 new cases making the case count 401 and Otoe County had 67 new cases putting the total case count at 893.

There have been 12 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Richardson County,  7 each in Johnson and Nemaha counties,  2 in Otoe County and one in Pawnee County.