An additional $9 million in Community Development Block Grant funds will be made available in Kansas at the local level for economic development and meal programs, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said today.
The money is being allocated through the federal CARES Act, and will be for local community areas affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“We know COVID-19 has taken a toll on businesses across the state,” Gov. Kelly said at a news conference today. “These grant funds will cover critical investments, help small businesses keep their doors open, and keep Kansans employed.”
The federal grant funds may be used for working capital such as wages, rent, utilities and inventory purchases, she said. For example, out-of-work hairstylists at closed salons can be kept on the payroll, or a small catering business may receive funds to purchase food for reopening.
To qualify, a business must have 51 percent or more of the employees who meet low to moderate income standards as determined by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Cities that apply for meal program grant must have a population that meet or exceeds 51 percent of low to moderate income guidelines. Examples of program that might qualify include food banks, Meals on Wheels programs for homebound seniors, or providing meals for schoolchildren who don’t have access to school nutrition programs.
Cities and counties may apply for up to $300,000 for economic development grants and up to $100,000 for meal programs, she said.
The program will allow decision-making to happen at the local level, she said. Applications for grants will open at 1 p.m. May 12 and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been disbursed, she said. More information is at kansascommerce.gov/cdbg-CV.
“The CDBG funding is just one piece of our state’s far-reaching recovery strategies,” Gov. Kelly said.
As the recovery unfolds, it’s important to remember to safe practice, she said. She thanks businesses that reopened with safe practices in place to keep customers and workers safe and healthy.
“I know it’s difficult, but we cannot let our guard down. We’re still a long way from beating COVID-19,” she said, so it’s important to continue being diligent.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said there were 7,116 positive COVID-19 cases in Kansas today, an increase of 132 since Sunday, with 158 deaths, an increase of one since Sunday.
The state is monitoring 78 clusters, he said, including 29 in private companies with 427 cases and five deaths; 24 in long-term care facilities with 575 cases and 92 deaths; nine in church and other related gatherings with 114 cases and nine deaths; seven in meatpacking plants with 1,280 cases and two deaths; three in group living situations with 41 cases and zero deaths; three in correctional facilities, with 863 cases and three deaths; and three in health care settings, with 22 cases and no deaths.
Dr. Norman said the state will be moving some of the epidemiology staff into helping the counties more, and will be changing its data updates to three times a week instead of daily.
He encouraged people to call their health care provider to get tested if they have symptoms, as more tests are now available.
Wyandotte County reported 1,078 cases at 4:05 p.m. May 11, with 65 deaths, one more death than on Sunday, an increase of nine cases, and the same number of hospitalizations.
State case counts in other counties
On Monday, according to the KDHE, Leavenworth County reported a total of 939 confirmed and probable cases. Testing of inmates has been completed at Lansing Correctional Facility.
Johnson County reported 611 confirmed and probable cases, according to the KDHE.
Eighty-three counties reported confirmed and probable positive cases on Monday, according to KDHE, and some of them included: Ford County (Dodge City area), 1,135; Seward County (Liberal area), 693; Finney County (Garden City area), 905; Sedgwick County (Wichita area), 451; Lyon County (Emporia area), 334; and Shawnee County (Topeka area), 165.
Douglas County (Lawrence area) reported 57 cases, and Riley County (Manhattan area) reported 58 cases, according to the KDHE.
To view the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/904749063357797/?v=904749063357797.
The Kansas COVID-19 website is at https://covid.ks.gov/.
The Kansas COVID-19 resource page is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus
Wyandotte County testing locations are online at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19
and also at https://wyandotteonline.com/task-force-expands-pop-up-testing-in-wyandotte-county/.
The UG’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The Wyandotte County reopening plan, a 41-page document, was posted Thursday, April 30, at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/RestartWYCOGuidanceDocument043020.pdf.
Information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.