ADAMS COUNTY — Adams County will not apply to move into Phase 3 of reopening its economy Friday due to a higher number of new cases confirmed in the last two weeks, according to officials with the county health department.

“Our caseload puts us well above the acceptable numbers for doing so,” wrote Karen Potts, community health director with the Adams County Health Department, in an email.

Friday was the first day that Adams County would have been eligible to apply for Phase 3, according to a state guideline for counties to wait three weeks after moving into a new phase before applying to move forward again.

Thirty new cases were reported in the county between Thursday, May 28, and Thursday, June 11. The last two weeks have had a rate of just over 150 new cases per 100,000 people, above the rate of 25 recommended by the state.

In neighboring Grant County, which has a population just under 100,000, there have been more new cases of the novel coronavirus than in Adams County, which had less than 20,000 residents in 2019. But Grant County had a significantly lower rate of new cases arising of just over 56 cases per 100,000 in the two-week period.

Health officials have previously stated that missing the state’s recommended metrics is not automatically disqualifying, but widespread or significant outbreaks could make it less likely that an exception would be made.

Potts was not immediately available to answer further questions on Friday.