Month: March 2021

Kansas to move into phases 3 and 4 of vaccine plan starting March 22

Kansas will move into phases 3 and 4 of the vaccine plan beginning March 22, according to an announcement from Gov. Laura Kelly today.

Gov. Kelly made the announcement at a 4 p.m. news conference at Stormont-Vail hospital in Topeka, Kansas.

Individuals from age 16 to 64 with pre-existing medical conditions and other non-health care workers in critical infrastructure will be eligible for vaccination, according to the announcement.

“Thanks to an increased supply in vaccine, Kansas will begin vaccinating individuals who qualify in either Phase 3 or Phase 4 on March 22,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “This expedited timeline will allow Kansans to get back to work, back to school, and back to a more normal way of life. I urge all Kansans to do their part by getting vaccinated when it is their turn and continuing to follow the public health guidance, so we can return back to normal.”

The governor said Kansas anticipates receiving 100,000 additional doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine later this month, and there could be smaller increases in the amount of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine it receives.

The state will enter phases 3 and 4 at the same time, according to the governor.
Kansans eligible to be vaccinated in phases 3 and 4 include:
Those aged 16 through 64 with conditions that increase the risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including:
o Cancer;
o Down Syndrome;
o Certain heart conditions;
o Type 1 and 2 diabetes;
o Pregnancy;
o Asthma;
o Cystic fibrosis;
o Liver disease;
o Neurological conditions like dementia;
o And other medical risks.  

And other non-health care workers in critical infrastructure who cannot work remotely, including:
o Agricultural and food workers not included in previous phases;
o Workers performing in-person activities indoors;
o Utility workers;
o Social service and government workers not included in previous phases;
o Logistics workers, such as truck transportation workers and couriers;
o Water and wastewater workers;
o Shelter, housing, and finance workers;
o And information technology and communication workers.

The conditions for these phases are outlined in more detail in the revised state vaccination priority plan at https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/157/Availability.

Kansas continues to see significant decreases in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Gov. Kelly said. She said she hoped it was as gratifying for everyone as for her to finally see hope on the horizon.

Wyandotte County is still giving vaccines to those who are 65 and older, in phase 2.

Gov. Kelly said that while some counties are finished with phase 2, the state knows that some counties are still giving vaccinations in phase 2. She said that is why they are giving the counties an additional week to work on the first and second phases before moving into the third and fourth phases.

The governor said anyone from phases 1 through 4 would still be eligible to get a vaccine on March 22, it doesn’t mean the counties have to stop giving vaccines to the earlier phases.

According to the governor and Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas health secretary, about 600,000 people are in phases 3 and 4 together. The state will be ready to move into the final phase, phase 5, by no later than May 1, according to officials. May 1 is the deadline that President Biden is encouraging for starting vaccinations for the general population.

Currently, Kansas will receive one large shipment from Johnson and Johnson later this month, but there is no guarantee that those large numbers will continue, according to Dr. Norman. The state currently receives 140,000 to 150,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine a week.

According to the governor, they want to be prepared, and they are planning according to the latest information from the federal government. If there are changes to those numbers, there will be changes to the amount of vaccine that is distributed, but they do not anticipate changes at this time.

Dr. Norman said there were about 1,450 vaccination sites in Kansas last week, but not all of them were operational yet, as there wasn’t enough vaccine for them yet.

Gov. Kelly said in the future, they hope to have mass vaccination sites set up, if they can get enough vaccine doses.

She said they were determined to get every Kansan vaccinated as quickly as possible, and they had prepared for it by allowing more people to be vaccinators and activating safety net clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and medical practices. The state also will join with the federal government to set up mass vaccination sites to increase the number of vaccinations possible per day.

The Wyandotte County Health Department has vaccine information online at WycoVaccines.org. Any Wyandotte County resident, may fill out a form expressing interest in getting a vaccine at WycoVaccines.org or call 3-1-1.

Kansans can use the “Find My Vaccine” mapping tool at KansasVaccine.Gov to locate a provider near them with vaccines available.

To view the updated COVID-19 vaccine information in Spanish, visit https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/189/Habitantes-de-Kansas.

Johnson County under tornado warning

Update: The storm has moved to Missouri, south of the Kansas City area, where some communities were sheltering. The tornado warning has been lifted. A thunderstorm warning was in effect in some areas of Missouri.

Parts of Johnson County were under a tornado warning until 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado was seen 7 miles west of Belton, Missouri, at 4:32 p.m., moving northeast at 15 mph.

Southeastern Johnson, northwestern Cass and southwestern Jackson counties were in the path of the tornado, according to the weather service. Those in the path of the storm should take cover immediately, according to the report.

Wyandotte County was not in the path of this storm, according to the weather service.

For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov.

KCK public libraries to reopen March 22

The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Libraries will reopen to the public on March 22.

The library buildings have been closed to public access, while still providing curbside access since June 1, 2020. Patrons were able to contact the library, request a book, and pick it up outside the building through curbside service.

The public will be able to engage in most of the previous services offered by the library, though some safety restrictions will continue to be in place while COVID-19 remains a community issue, according to Kim Woolery, library spokeswoman.

Curbside service will continue for patrons, the spokeswoman said. Masks will be required, hand sanitizer will be available around the buildings and temperature scans will be taken at the door, she said. Social distancing will be required.

“We have modeled good safety measures over the past year with mitigating strategies in place,” said Carol Levers, library director, in a report to the Kansas City, Kansas, school board at the March 9 meeting. Now they can safely reopen, within CDC guidelines, she said.

Capacity of the library buildings will be limited, Woolery said. Only 30 library patrons at a time can be in the Main, South and West branch libraries, she said. The Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park is allowed only 10 patrons inside at a time because it is a smaller area, she added.

Because the Turner Community Library is small, it will not be opening to in-person visits because if it did, only one or two people could have been allowed in at a time, she added. Turner will continue its curbside services, she added.

Levers reported at the March 9 school board meeting that the total circulation in January for the five branches was 12,874 items, with 6,574 items placed on hold.

With the reopening, those who do go into the library buildings will be allowed to stay only 30 minutes because of the limited capacity, according to Woolery.

Library patrons will still be able to browse, use the computers and other services, she said. However, the meeting rooms cannot be reserved or used because of their small space, Woolery said.

The library will not have in-person classes, programs or workshops at this time because of the space restrictions, she said.

For the past several months, the library has offered video programs, as well as take-home craft kits for patrons, which will continue.

One of the recent library video events, with guest author and Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, who wrote, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” attracted a large national audience, Levers said at the recent school board meeting. Another recent video program was, “Black Men in White Coats,” with a discussion about minorities in the medical field.

Levers said at the school board meeting that some seating has been removed in the library so people are not too close to one another. Computer labs would have a limited number of people, and would have extra attention for cleaning, she said. Bathrooms and vending machines will be open to the public. The library will continue to quarantine returned items and use enhanced cleaning and sanitation on all surfaces.

Loitering inside or outside the libraries will not be allowed, she said, because social distancing is being required.

Library hours will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Main, South and West Wyandotte branches.

The Schlagle Library will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and every third Saturday.