A public health advisory was issued Friday for the Greater Kansas City area about the rapid rise of the delta variant.
The region’s public health departments, including the Wyandotte County Health Department, are issuing the public health advisory in consultation with area hospitals’ chief medical officers, according to a spokesman.
A rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the Greater Kansas City area is related to the emergency of the delta variant, according to the spokesman.
In the advisory, residents are urged to get fully vaccinated.
Also, unvaccinated persons should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces and in crowded outdoor settings, according to the advisory.
In addition, both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents should exercise caution, the advisory stated.
Persons who have any symptoms should stay home when they are sick, according to the advisory.
Those who have underlying medical conditions should get fully vaccinated as soon as possible and wear masks when around persons of unknown vaccination status, according to the advisory.
At this time, unvaccinated residents of all ages who have resumed normal activities without adequate protection are most at risk, particularly immune-compromised individuals, the spokesman said.
The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to significantly reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death, according to the spokesman.
Recommendations
The region’s public health departments strongly recommend that residents take precautions to protect themselves and others in their community:
- Get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Anyone 12 and older should seek vaccination immediately.
• Help protect children younger than 12 by ensuring the adults around them are vaccinated.
• Individuals who have initiated 2-dose vaccination should get their second dose to ensure maximum protection against all COVID-19 strains, including delta.
• Talk with your friends and family about the importance of getting vaccinated.
• If you have specific concerns about whether you should get the vaccine, consult your physician. - Unvaccinated individuals should wear a mask while visiting indoor public places, in crowded outdoor settings, and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
• Be aware that people with underlying medical conditions may not be able to receive full protection from the vaccine and that children younger than 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination. These populations are vulnerable to being exposed to COVID-19. - Both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents should exercise caution.
• Currently, only 40% of Missourians are fully vaccinated. Please assume that 1 in 2 people in any crowd or gathering may be unvaccinated. If you do not know the vaccination status of those around you, resume social distancing of at least 6 feet.
• If unvaccinated, being in crowds like restaurants, bars, fitness centers, or movie theaters puts you at a higher risk for COVID-19. Avoid indoor spaces that do not offer fresh air from the outdoors as much as possible.
• Additionally, continue practicing good hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds. - Stay home if you’re sick.
• Seek testing if you develop or have any symptoms of COVID-19, including mild symptoms similar to a cold or allergies. - Individuals with underlying medical conditions should get fully vaccinated as soon as possible and wear masks when around persons of unknown vaccination status.
• The following conditions are associated with increased risk of death from COVID-19:
o Age above 65, organ transplant recipient, cancer, diabetes, obesity, chronic heart/lung/kidney/neurologic conditions, rheumatologic conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, use of immunosuppressive medications, AIDS, and other immunosuppressive conditions or neurological diseases.
• Having more than one of these conditions may significantly increase the risk of hospitalization or death. For more information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
To find information about vaccination locations and updated guidance, visit https://wycokck.org/covid-19.
Free COVID-19 vaccines available
Free COVID-19 vaccines will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, July 18, at the New Bethel Church anniversary celebration and block party at 745 Walker Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The 73rd anniversary event is open to the community. There will be games and activities, free household items, inspirational messages, a class and sports car show, family food boxes, free COVID-19 saliva tests, a free lunch and an opportunity to receive up to $40 in gift cards. Vibrant Health will assist with vaccines.
For information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.
Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).
Other sites available for vaccinations
Free vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
There were 32 active COVID-19 patients on Friday morning at the University of Kansas Health System, a decrease of five from Thursday, according to Dr. Nathan Bahr, infectious diseases. The number has declined slightly for the first time in more than a week, but the numbers remain the highest the health system has had since Feb. 19. Twelve patients on Friday were in the intensive care unit, an increase of three from Thursday. Three patients were on ventilators, a decrease of one from Thursday. Ten other patients were hospitalized because of COVID-19 but were out of the acute infection phase, an increase of three from Thursday. There were a total 42 COVID patients, a decrease of two from Thursday.
Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 19,436 cases on Friday, an increase of 21 since Thursday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 300 deaths reported, the same as Thursday.
On Wednesday, July 14, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 37.42 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled 32.49 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 46 percent.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 177,303 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Thursday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 77.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 323,385 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, July 16, an increase of 1,121 since July 14. There was a total of 5,197 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of one since July 14.
The KDHE reported 61,138 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on July 16, an increase of 237 since July 14. Leavenworth County had 7,538 cases, an increase of 41 since July 14. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 58,654 cases, an increase of 160 since July 14.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 34,053,080 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 608,815 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 28,412 new cases nationwide and 283 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were Texas, 3,023; Missouri, 2,814; California, 1,794; Louisiana, 1,500; Georgia, 1,362.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Indonesia, 56,757; Brazil, 52,789; United Kingdom, 48,641; India, 38,949; and U.S., 28,412, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, July 19, at the UG Health Department’s central location, the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Free gift cards are available to those who get a test, while supplies last.
Besides Health Department sites, free COVID-19 testing is available at several locations in Wyandotte County.
Visit gogettested.com/Kansas and https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19 for more sites.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. The department’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. There are more test sites listed on this page.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.
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 Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.