August 2021 – Page 8 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Sunny, hot weather in Saturday’s forecast

Sunny and hot conditions will continue on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

The maximum heat index Saturday will reach as high as 98, the weather service said. Temperatures could reach 92.

The overnight low will be around 73 tonight, according to the weather service.

Showers and thunderstorms are possible Sunday and Monday, as a front moves through the area, the weather service said.

Today, it will be sunny, with a high near 92, the weather service said. The heat index will be as high as 98. A south wind of 8 to 14mph will gust as high as 21 mph.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 73 and a south wind of 7 to 9 mph, according to the weather service.

Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 89 with a heat index as high as 96. A south southwest wind of 6 to 8 mph will become northwest in the afternoon. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Sunday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 71 with a calm wind. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Monday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 87, the weather service said. A calm wind will become east southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected.

Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 69, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 87, the weather service said.

Tuesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 67, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 87, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 68, according to the weather service.

Thursday, it will be sunny, with a high near 88, the weather service said.

Thursday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 70, according to the weather service.

Friday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 90, the weather service said.

State employees returning to remote work

In response to the continued spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, Gov. Laura Kelly has released new guidance directing state agencies under the jurisdiction of the executive branch to resume remote work operations where possible.

“Since the start of the pandemic, my administration has followed the best public health guidance to keep our communities safe, mitigate the spread of the virus, and reduce strain on hospitals,” Gov. Kelly said. “The decision to return to remote work was not made lightly – but we know that this is a necessary step to prevent COVID-19 infections. I am confident that our state employees will continue to provide quality services to all Kansans who need them.”

The remote work model will remain in place through Oct. 4. At that time, a re-assessment of current COVID-19 infection rates will determine when state employees can return to fully on-site work.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, state agency operations shifted to remote work for employees whose job functions could be performed remotely. In June, after a significant reduction in daily COVID-19 infections, state employees began returning to state office buildings.

As infection numbers began to rise again throughout the summer, a transition to remote work will help control the spread of the virus among state employees. Onsite staffing will be limited to only those necessary to safely conduct agency operations.

Mask requirements, social distancing and other mitigation measures will remain in place for employees whose jobs must be performed on-site. Public offices serving customers will be encouraged to re-institute mitigation measures that were previously utilized during the pandemic, such as scheduling “by appointment only” or making allowances for virtual as opposed to in-person interactions. All such measures will be carried out in a way as to have as minimal an impact or inconvenience on customers, according to a spokesman.

Nurses must renew expired licenses by Aug. 28

Gov. Laura Kelly urged Kansas nurses to renew their licensing requirements by the Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021 deadline.

The Kansas State Board of Nursing announced the notice for Kansas nurses, and employers of Kansas nurses, who were working under the professional licensing waivers issued via the COVID-19 disaster declaration Executive Order 21-09. Licensed nursing professionals impacted by the ending of these waivers are urged to renew their l icense as soon as possible.

“Since COVID-19 invaded Kansas, our nurses have been on-call around the clock to keep Kansans safe and healthy and I can’t thank them enough for their life-saving work,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “Right now, we need our Kansas nurses more than ever. I urge all Kansas nurses to renew their licensing, so we can continue to care for patients.

“To all the unvaccinated Kansans – we owe it to our nurses to get vaccinated now. We must reduce the strain on our hospital system and our healthcare workers. We all need to step up and do our part to protect each other,” Gov. Kelly said.

The Board of Nursing began sending multiple electronic and postcard mail renewal notices to licensees and stakeholders about the expiring waivers in the weeks and months leading up to the ending of these waivers. The board has also continued to release public notices via social media, the agency newsletter and the KSBN website throughout the COVID pandemic emergency.

Without a disaster declaration, the governor and Board of Nursing cannot further extend the waivers. Legislative action is necessary to extend any waiver beyond Aug. 28.

The nurses affected by these waivers are those who had a Kansas nursing license with a normal expiration date of March 31, 2020, through July 31, 2021, and who have not yet renewed their licensure.

Any of these licensees that are not renewed by Aug. 28, 2021, will begin to lapse on Aug. 29, 2021, according to officials.

A nurse with a lapsed Kansas nursing license can no longer work until their license is reinstated, officials stated.

Kansas nurses or those who employ a Kansas nurse and are unsure of when the nursing license expires, may check the status of your license at the Nursing License Verification Database. This is a free service offered to the public and nurses.

Renewing a Kansas nursing license is a simple process that takes only minutes to complete.

• To renew your license, simply visit the “Getting Started” section of the Board of Nursing website.
• Read and follow all applicable instructions.
• Then, log into the Kansas Nursing License Portal to complete your renewal and pay applicable fees.
• To confirm your renewal has been completed, the nurse may do so via the same portal or by checking the Nursing License Verification Database. (Please allow up to two hours for the public verification database to update prior to checking.)

For more information or to renew a nursing license, visit the Board of Nursing’s website at https://ksbn.kansas.gov/