Four new cases of COVID-19 were disclosed Tuesday by county health officials, marking the lowest seven-day total since Oct. 29.

The county’s pandemic death toll stands at 12, but officials have said previously that reports of deaths often are delayed for weeks or months.

The latest county report brings the total number of cases to 971.

State data now list 13 more cases than county officials do.

County health officials reported that 27 county residents were under isolation orders or continued to experience symptoms or receive treatment Tuesday evening.

Countless others who might have been exposed to them were under quarantine orders. Two county residents were reported to be hospitalized because of coronavirus.

The new numbers provided further evidence that a post-holidays surge in new COVID cases appears to be ebbing.

The number of new cases reported in the past seven days now stands at 28 — the lowest seven-day total on a reporting day since Oct. 29. A week ago, the seven-day total was 32. A week before that, it was 67. The highest seven-day total was 90 on Jan. 10.

The number of new cases in the past 14 days now stands at 60. Two weeks ago, it was 125. Two weeks before that it was 116. The highest 14-day total on a reporting day was 161 on Nov. 12.

Bethesda Home in Goessel remains listed by the state as the site of a COVID-19 “cluster.” It was one of 10 nursing homes in the state designed as having COVID cluster this week. The latest state listing says Bethesda had nine new cases in the 14 days that ended Jan. 28.

The county health department said 480 county residents have been vaccinated against COVID.
Vaccination clinics are being held every Wednesday, with appointments set according to age. Appointments are being made for people ages 80 and older.

County officials’ next update, scheduled for Thursday evening, will be reported only in next week’s print editions of the newspaper unless a significant change is apparent.