COVID-19 cases increased statewide in Kansas on Saturday, according to information from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The state reported 1,268 positive cases on Saturday morning, an increase of 102 cases from Friday’s 1,166 cases, according to the KDHE.
The state also reported 55 COVID-19 related deaths, an increase from the 50 deaths reported Friday.
Wyandotte County reported 315 cases, according to the KDHE, an increase of 15 cases from Friday. There were a total of 24 deaths in Wyandotte County, an increase of four deaths from Friday, according to the UG COVID-19 website.
The KDHE website on Saturday also reported that 61 counties in Kansas now have positive cases.
There were 283 cases in Johnson County, 191 cases in Sedgwick County and 76 cases in Leavenworth County on Saturday, according to the KDHE website.
Kansas received a “C-minus” for social distancing activity on the most recent Unacast social distancing rating, while Wyandotte and Johnson counties received an overall “D-plus.” (https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard)
According to Unacast, Wyandotte County got a “F” on reduction in average mobility, based on distance traveled of 25 to 40 percent.
The county got an “A” for greater than 70 percent reduction in nonessential visits.
And Wyandotte County got an “F” from Unacast in a less than 40 percent decrease in encounters density compared to the national baseline.
Lansing riot
On Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly during a news conference outlined steps that have been taken after a prison riot at the Lansing Correctional Facility at 3 p.m. Thursday. A number of inmates barricaded themselves in their unit, she said. At 11 p.m., KDOC special operations teams entered and cleared the unit, ending at 2 a.m., she said.
The governor reported two minor injuries to inmates, including one who had a cut and received stitches, and another who inhaled gas when SORT teams entered the facility.
A review and investigation is underway, she said. She thanked officers for putting an end to the incident swiftly and professionally. There was no loss of life. Gov. Kelly said her administration would put into place any steps that were necessary in the future.
The riot reportedly was over the inmates’ concerns about COVID-19 at LCF. They were concerned about the level of care inmates were receiving from a contractor who provides health care, Gov. Kelly said. She said the state will hold the contractor accountable and is discussing problems recently identified.
The corrections secretary, Jeff Zmuda, said at the news conference that the corrections department has put in place a number of measures to increase safety and health at the facility. Visitation was suspended in mid-March, extra cleaning was provided, and in mid-March a passive screening procedure was implemented. In late March, an active screening process was started at entrance and exit points, he said. A $2 co-pay for medical services has been removed, he said. On April 3, an intake isolation unit was begun at Larned for inmates coming from county jails; they will stay there 14 days, he said.
Kansas Correctional Industries produced masks made of cloth, and distribution started Thursday, he said. While social distancing is difficult, they have taken steps to restrict movements.
Sixteen staff members have tested positive at LCF, 12 offenders have tested positive, and seven offenders were under observation, he said. The inmates are in a quarantine unit, he said.
The quarantine unit is in a newly constructed facility at Lansing, he said.
Controversy over in-person church attendance
Today, the Kansas Supreme Court is hearing a lawsuit filed by Gov. Kelly against the state’s Legislative Coordinating Council, which overturned her executive order this week that would require churches and funeral homes to fall under the limit of no more than 10 persons present at one time.
Since that time, Wyandotte County’s chief medical officer has issued a similar order pertaining to church gatherings in Wyandotte County, limiting in-person gatherings and allowing drive-in church services if they follow certain rules. (See https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/LocalHealthOfficersOrdeRegardingReligiousServices04092020.pdf)
Many local churches already had switched to online services or other methods, such as internet or telephone communication, during the pandemic.
On Thursday, Gov. Kelly also issued two other executive orders, one that would extend professional and occupational licenses for the rest of the pandemic, and another that allows notaries and witnesses to do their jobs remotely.
To see the governor’s Friday news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/582437612370396/.
The Kansas COVID-19 resource page is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.
The UG’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The CDC COVID-19 page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.