The Lawrence County Health Department said this week that the county is now the third highest in the state for new cases of COVID-19.

In an update to its Facebook page, the department said it has reported 1,261 new cases of the virus since Sept. 1.

For comparison, the department reported only 150 cases in the same time period in 2020.

Since Sept. 1, there have been 44 hospitalizations in the county, with several in ICU, including a child under the age of 18.

The county has seen 15 deaths from the virus since Sept. 1, with ages ranging from 42-87.

The department scheduled several vaccination clinics for the county this week, including at schools.

For more information on future clinics, visit the department’s Facebook page or call 740-532-3962.