A lane closure is planned on eastbound I-70 from 38th to 18th street on Wednesday for light replacement. (KDOT map)
The right lane of eastbound I-70 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8 from North 38th Street to South 18th Street Expressway – U.S. 69 for tower light replacement, weather permitting.
Traffic will be diverted using signage and traffic cones, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation spokesman.
The KDOT spokesman urged all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approaching and driving through a highway work zone.
To stay aware of all road construction projects across Kansas, motorists may go to www.kandrive.org or call 5-1-1. Motorists should drive safely and always wear a seat belt, the spokesman stated.
RideKC has reported a positive COVID-19 test on Route 104 Argentine, according to a post on its social media page.
According to the RideKC Facebook page, an operator drove the route from 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, and the operator did not work after April 1.
The bus service recommended that all persons who rode Route 104 on April 1 should monitor themselves for possible symptoms and contact their health care providers, according to the RideKC social media post.
The Unified Government tonight reported a total of 200 positive COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County.
RideKC also announced today that it was reducing transit service starting Sunday, April 12. According to a news release, the average daily ridership has decreased sharply since the stay-at-home order was issued, and they have more than 120 operators absent daily.
Bus routes starting in Kansas City, Missouri, will run on modified service with most routes using a Saturday schedule that will end at 9 p.m., according to a news release. Many routes that don’t run on Saturdays will be added to a Saturday schedule to accommodate transit needs. All Sunday routes will run as normal but will now end at 9 p.m., according to the news release.
Unified Government Transit in Kansas City, Kansas, service will continue on a regular weekday schedule, according to the news release.
For information about routes in other cities and areas, visit Ridekc.org.
Fifty-seven Kansas counties now have positive cases of COVID-19, according to the KDHE. (KDHE map) This graph shows new cases in blue and the total number of cases in yellow. In the last day, there were not as many new cases as the day before. (KDHE graph)
For many faith groups in Kansas, religious services already have moved online or to the airwaves under the leadership of church officials.
For those who didn’t, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new executive order placing faith groups and funeral services under the same 10-person limit as other gatherings. The order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. Wednesday.
The timing of the order is just before Holy Week, Easter and Passover services this week.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Kansas rose to 900 on Tuesday morning, the governor said, including 27 deaths. There are positive cases in 57 of the 105 counties.
At 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, Wyandotte County reported 194 positive cases, with 10 total deaths.
Holy Week is underway, and with Kansas approaching a peak in the coming weeks, the risk of COVID-19 cases through additional church gatherings is especially dangerous, Gov. Kelly said. She said the action taken brings her sadness.
The governor mentioned three clusters of churches or religious gatherings where COVID-19 has spread in Kansas, comprising 25 percent of the clusters being tracked by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Three church meetings were in Wyandotte County before the stay-at-home orders went into effect on March 24. The church gatherings did not violate the law. According to the Unified Government Health Department’s Facebook page, the three church-related clusters were the Ministers Conference at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ March 16-22; a gala on March 14 at Rising Star Baptist Church; and the Power Realm Church of God in Christ, all in Wyandotte County.
Gov. Kelly said she consulted with the emergency management team, state Health Department and local leaders to issue the new executive order.
“My action today does not ban funerals from taking place or religious gatherings,” Gov. Kelly said. “I’m wholly committed to protecting Kansas’ religious liberty as governor. Both attending and conducting religious services remains a designated essential function and cannot be prohibited by local orders. Gatherings must simply be limited to 10 individuals at a time.”
Also, all present at the services must adhere to appropriate safety protocols including social distancing and hygiene, she said.
Gov. Kelly said she encouraged all faith leaders to use methods that do not involve in-person congregations.
“This was a difficult decision and could not come at a more disappointing time,” Gov. Kelly said.
Kansans rely on faith leaders for counsel and support especially during difficult times, and especially during Holy Week, she said.
She said she spoke with faith leaders in Kansas and was told that many had already recognized the danger of celebrating with in-person services, and have implemented alternatives. She said churches are livestreaming services, and holding services in parking lots with people staying in cars.
She said thousands of others, including those not actively religious, were affected with the postponement of Easter egg hunts, big dinners with family and friends, and baskets of candy, customs that have all been put on pause, she noted. There was no Easter egg hunt at the governor’s residence this year, she added.
Gov. Kelly also said she does not plan to attend Easter services in person this year.
“These mitigation efforts are a primary defense against COVID-19,” she said. “If we’ve learned anything in the past few weeks, it’s that physical distance does not keep us apart.”
In Wyandotte County, the original local stay-home order did include a 10-person limit on gatherings including church services and funeral services. Then the local order was overridden by the governor’s original order, which specified social distancing but did not give a number limit on church and funeral gatherings. Other groups were limited to 10 in the original governor’s order. In Wyandotte County’s original order, churches were not listed as essential, but they are essential in the governor’s order. The new guidance from KDHE stated that if they are more restrictive, local orders now will override the state’s orders.
Today’s action brings the churches and funerals under the same 10-person limit as other gatherings in the state, according to the governor. The governor’s new order stated that the order prohibits gatherings of more than 10 congregants or parishioners in the same building or same space. Those conducting the service, including ministers, choir, readers and liturgists, may exceed 10 if they maintain a six-foot distance and follow directives on hygiene, according to the new order.
