Month: December 2020

Police notes

Battery on law enforcement officer reported

Officers responded to a dispatched call to check the welfare of an individual at 8:40 p.m. Dec. 4 in the 2400 block of South 47th Street, according to a social media post by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department.

While they were investigating, the suspect tried to strike one of the officers, the report stated. The suspect was taken into custody, according to the report.

Santa’s Express in Lights

Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted visitors Friday night to the Santa’s Express in Lights at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted visitors Friday night to the Santa’s Express in Lights at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
Santa’s Express in Lights attracted a steady stream of cars on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
A grader illuminated in holiday lights was one of the sights at the Santa’s Express in Lights on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
A llama was one of the animals at Santa’s Express in Lights on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
A nativity scene at the Santa’s Express in Lights on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
Santa’s Express in Lights attracted a steady stream of cars on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)
Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Express in Lights on Friday night, Dec. 4, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The program has changed this year to a drive-through where visitors stay in their cars, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The program continues from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and Dec. 11-12 at the Ag Hall. A donation of $10 per car is requested. (Photo by Steve Rupert)

COVID-19 cases increasing

Kansas reported an additional 5,849 COVID-19 cases on Friday, for a cumulative 168,295, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 107 deaths, for a cumulative total of 1,786.

Wyandotte County reported an additional 123 COVID-19 cases on Friday, with a cumulative 11,382, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There was one additional death, for a cumulative 184.

The Mid-America Regional Council Kansas City Region COVID-19 Resource hub reported a total 95,395 COVID-19 cases on Friday in the nine-county Kansas City region. There were a total 1,155 deaths, and an average daily new hospitalizations rate of 173 over the last seven days.

Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard reported 14,367,459 total cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States on Friday.

The University of Kansas Health System reported a slight drop in the number of COVID-19 patients on Friday. There were 87 patients with the active COVID-19 virus in the hospital, down from 89 on Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 46 patients in the intensive care unit, the same as Thursday, with 30 patients on ventilators, up from 28 on Thursday. There was another 68 patients still hospitalized because of COVID-19, but in the recovery phase, the same as Thursday. In all there were 155 patients, down two from 157 on Thursday.
HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, reported a total of 32 COVID-19 inpatients, down from 37 on Thursday, with 22 active patients and 10 in the recovery phase.

Friday was eight days after Thanksgiving, and doctors said they are just starting to see some patients who were infected at Thanksgiving. There may be more in the next week, with most hospitalizations following infections by 10 to 14 days.

During the Friday news conference at KU Health System, Daniel Silva, president and CEO of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce, said it is critical to support local mercants during the pandemic.

“If you’re going to do any shopping or go out to eat, please go to local businesses at this tie, in a safe way,” Silva said.

They have participated in the WyCo pledge, trying to keep COVID-19 cases down.

They also heard from other merchants about safe shopping.

Stay safe, wear masks, carry hand sanitizer and socially distance, the health experts said.

For more information about the testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.

The KU doctors’ morning news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital.

For more information, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.

The new Wyandotte County health order with a limit of 10 persons to a gathering, and a closing time of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars, with other new restrictions, is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/11162020localhealthorderexecuted.pdf.

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

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.

The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.