After a strong decline for early spring from Omicron highs, new cases of COVID-19 have tripled in Lawrence County from where they were at this time last month.

According to figures released Monday by the Lawrence County Health Department, there were 66 new cases of the virus reported in the week of May 5-12, along with two hospitalizations.

For comparison there were 19 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the week of April 15-21.

While the numbers are on the rise, they are still far short of the highs the county saw in January, when more than 900 cases of the virus were reported in a single week.

The department also released summary numbers for April, with 131 cases of the virus and one death reported.

The numbers for the most recent reported week in May are about half what the county saw for the entire month of April.

The county is current ranked 27th out of Ohio’s 88 counties for new cases of the virus.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the county is listed as “High” for community transmission level and “Medium” for community level

There have been 18,071 cases to date of the virus in Lawrence County, or about 30 percent of the county’s population.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, 43.57 percent of the population in Lawrence County is fully vaccinated. Using the CDC’s numbers, 52.5 percent is fully vaccinated. The difference in the numbers is due to those who may have been vaccinated out of state. Those providers are not required to report their numbers to the state health department, but they are reported to the CDC by a resident’s zip code.

The county health department continues to offer COVID-19 vaccination clinics, providing initial doses and booster shots. Vaccines are also available at most pharmacies. For more information, call 740-532-3962.

Clinics for this week are as follows:

• Thursday and Friday, noon-4 p.m., Lawrence County Health Department, 2122 S. Eighth St., Ironton.

Booster doses are available for those 12 years of age and older who are eligible.

Those coming for a second dose or a booster dose, are asked to bring their vaccine card to the clinic with them. Those seeking a vaccine are also asked to bring a copy of their insurance card for the administration fee. No one will be charged out-of-pocket, and no one will be denied a vaccine if uninsured.