Month: April 2020

Wyandotte County COVID-19 cases increase by 57 this morning

Positive COVID-19 cases increased by 57 on Thursday morning, to a total of 674. There were 55 total deaths, unchanged from Wednesday. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)
A graph showed the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)

Wyandotte County positive COVID-19 cases increased by 57 on Thursday morning, from 617 on Wednesday to 674 on Thursday. There was no change in the total of deaths, 55.

At 6:30 p.m. today, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is expected to announce a plan for reopening Kansas. This speech is expected to be carried on television and also on the governor’s Facebook page.

The Kansas stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 4, and can be ended or extended. Local governments may put their own plans in place. Wyandotte County has a task force studying reopening society. The UG Commission plans to have a COVID-19 update at 5 p.m. today.

Another testing site today in Wyandotte County

COVID-19 testing in Wyandotte County is being ramped up this week. Another pop-up test site was announced from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at the Franklin Center, 1405 Metropolitan Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, through Swope Health.

There also will be a pop-up test site from 3 to 6 p.m. at Thursday Salem Baptist Church, 1824 N. 11th, Kansas City, Kansas. For registration for the Salem Baptist test site, call 913-371-9298. This test site was through Vibrant Health.

Regular COVID-19 testing continues at the UG Health Department parking lot, from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointments are needed and tests are free; however, to get a test, Wyandotte County residents must have experienced a symptom or symptoms within the past 48 hours. Residents may call ahead to 311 or can report symptoms online to wycokck.org/COVID-19, with the Health Department following up to set up a test appointment or provide guidance.

KU doctors: Don’t bend the curve back

The University of Kansas Health System reported 17 positive COVID-19 patients in the hospital, with nine in the intensive care unit, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System. The hospital has seen some discharges, he added.

KU doctors said at a news conference on Thursday morning that the number of hospital patients and critically ill patients there continues to decline. They believe people in the community have bent the curve, and they congratulated them.

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said KU Health System peaked at 40 patients in the hospital with COVID-19.

He said coronavirus is still out there, and outbreaks at nursing homes and meatpacking plants are sending a message that being around a lot of people and not maintaining distance is putting yourself and others at risk. Shelter in place has done a remarkable job in the Kansas City area, he said. This area also had the advantage of being less dense than New York, without subways, crowded streets and buildings.

He said, from a public health perspective, they are pleased with how well the health care community has responded and also how well the community has responded.

Dr. Hawkinson said physical distancing is the new normal.

“We have to act like this is going to be here,” he said.

While they understand things need to get back to a normal way of life, he said people need to continue to do the things that have worked, as a second wave may be possible.

Places that are crowded, with a lot of people, and where people are close to each other, are not safe, he said.

Dr. Sean Kumer, vice president of perioperative and procedural services at KU Health System, said the hospital now has started to do more procedures. They canceled or postponed more than 3,000 cases last month, and are now having conversations about how to open up the operating rooms, he said.

He said procedures have been implemented, including checking temperatures, limiting visitors and testing patients who will have surgery, so that the hospital is safe.

The hospital has changed air pressure in rooms in the operating area, and made other adjustments for safety, according to the doctors.

The doctors continued to emphasize individual responsibility, social distancing, staying home when sick, good hand-washing and other hygiene practices.

“You’ve bent the curve, don’t bend it back,” Dr. Stites said. “The thing that is going to keep you safe is common sense.”

The coronavirus is still there, and people need to do the right thing, he added.

To see the KU doctors’ news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/564238550871228/.

The UG’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The Kansas COVID-19 website is at https://covid.ks.gov/.

The Kansas COVID-19 resource page is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus

Information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.

Police notes

Man charged with murder in April 21 case

Laron Betts has been arrested and charged with the April 21 murder of a Kansas City, Kansas, resident, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

Michael Castleberry, 45, was the victim of the shooting in the 1800 block of Walker Avenue.

Victim robbed at gunpoint

A suspect walked up to a victim at 11:30 a.m. April 29 in the 1000 block of Forest Court, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The suspect pointed a gun at the victim, took money from the victim and left, according to the report. The victim refused prosecution.

Assault reported on South 13th


A suspect pointed a gun at victims at 4:26 p.m. April 29 in the 100 block of South 13th Street, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The suspect asked the victims questions and then made a demand, the report stated. The suspect left and was taken into custody. The victims were unwilling to press charges, according to the report.

Sexual molestation reported

A victim reported that a suspect sexually molested the victim about 8:45 p.m. April 29, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

Vehicle shot in 4100 block of Strong

A suspect shot at a victim’s vehicle about 10:42 p.m. April 29 in the 4100 block of Strong Avenue, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

The victim and suspect had exchanged words before the shooting, according to the report.

Sunny, high near 73 today

Temperatures will reach a high near 73 today in Wyandotte County. (Photo by Mary Rupert)

Sunny skies and a high near 73 are in today’s forecast from the National Weather Service.

Temperatures could reach the mid-80s on Saturday before storms move in Saturday night through Tuesday, according to the weather service.

At this time, the threat of severe weather on the weekend looks low, the weather service said.

Upper-level ridging is keeping the weather calm during the next few days, according to the weather service.

Today, it will be sunny with a high near 73 and a north northwest wind of 7 to 10 mph, gusting to 18 mph, the weather service said.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 54 and a calm wind becoming south southeast around 6 mph after midnight, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 79 and a south southeast wind of 6 to 15 mph, gusting as high as 22 mph, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 58 and a south wind of 6 mph becoming calm in the evening, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 84 and a calm wind becoming east northeast around 6 mph in the afternoon, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 59, according to the weather service. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., with a high near 75, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 55, according to the weather service.

Monday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 76, the weather service said.

Monday night, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., with a low of 58, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 72, the weather service said.

Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 50, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 71, the weather service said.