Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced an executive order requiring COVID=19 testing in all adult care homes.
The order, which goes into effect Dec. 14, is aimed at keeping COVID-19 from entering and spreading through nursing homes, she said at the 4 p.m. news conference.
“By implementing uniform testing guidelines for nursing facilities statewide, we create clarity on the testing practices that will protect adult care home workers, residents, and communities from the spread of COVID-19,” Gov. Kelly said.
Already, nursing homes that are regulated by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are under a federal order requiring tests for COVID-19.
The state order adds 473 state-licensed facilities such as adult care homes and assisted living centers that are not under the federal order to the list.
Facilities will be required to test residents and staff based on parameters and frequency contained in the executive order.
The frequency of tests will depend on the county’s positivity rates. Residents and staff at nursing homes that are in counties with a rate of 5 percent or less will test once a month; 5 to 10 percent will test once a week; and 10 percent or higher will test twice a week.
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s nursing home metrics page, Wyandotte County had a 17.7 percent positivity rate in the most recent period, ending Dec. 5. Wyandotte County nursing homes would have to test twice a week.
Adult care homes may choose to test at higher rates than those that are required in the executive order.
“We thank Gov. Kelly for her continued support via this executive order to prioritize adult care home staff and residents in the state’s COVID-19 testing strategy,” KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. “This action gives us an opportunity to ensure our most vulnerable citizens and the staff critical to their hands-on care are afforded every protection needed to slow down or stop the entrance of this virus into our facilities.”
There are 212 active COVID-19 clusters within long-term care facilities in Kansas, she said. There have been 418 total COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
All staff, residents and those entering the facilities should be regularly screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, in addition to the tests, according to the order.
As Kansans head into the peak of the pandemic, Gov. Kelly urged residents to take the necessary action to slow the spread of the virus. They need to wash hands, socially distance, wear masks and get tested.
The governor read a letter from a Kansas resident whose 97-year-old mother died of COVID-19 in a nursing home, and who was concerned that his mother’s life was just being swept aside by others who said she had lived a long life. Until COVID-19 hit, the resident had visited his mother every week, enjoying time with her. Unfortunately, COVID-19 ended the visits and her life.
To see the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/414166709765498.
The new executive order is online at https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/EO-20-69-Adult-Care-Homes-Covid-Testing_Executed.pdf.
Vaccines expected to be given soon to front-line health care workers
COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be given soon, if Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is approved Thursday for emergency use authorization by the FDA.
Gov. Kelly said Kansas is expecting 24,000 doses from Pfizer first, then 49,000 Moderna vaccines the next week. They are currently working with stakeholder groups, solidifying the distribution plans, she said.
Front-line health care workers, along with long-term care staff and elderly nursing home residents, are at the top of the priority list in Kansas, Gov. Kelly said.
The second phase will include people 65 and older, while the third phase will include those younger than 65.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said precautions are being taken, with the low temperature required for the Pfizer vaccine, to make sure none of it is wasted. He said they were not exactly aware of the timing of when the vaccine would arrive.
He said COVID-19 testing sites have been ramped up throughout the state, with 18 new sites, plus 15 more next week.
Seventy percent of the residents of skilled nursing and adult care homes will receive vaccines directly through a contract with Walgreens and CVS, he said. The other 30 percent of the adult care homes will receive the vaccines through providers who have made agreements with the state.
Dr. Norman said those health care workers who will be higher on the list to be vaccinated are dealing regularly with COVID-19 patients. These might include hospital workers, as well as clinic workers who see COVID-19 patients, health care workers in schools, and health care workers in correctional facilities with COVID-19 units.
At the Wednesday morning news conference at the University of Kansas Health System, Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, regional health administrator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said the state health departments are working around the clock to figure out the best way to communicate with the public about when it will be their turn to get the vaccine. Information will become more specific in the future, she said.
The Pfizer vaccine is anticipated to be administered starting next week, she said, and will be shipped directly to facilities to distribute it.
She said they are aware that not enough vaccines are available immediately to vaccinate everyone. The state plans are working out the questions about supply, how many vaccinations can be administered in a given time period, getting the vaccinations to the right people and not wasting any, she said.
Recent news stories have discussed that a second group of Pfizer vaccines was not ordered previously.
Dr. Satterwhite said that all vaccine that is allocated to the states is being ordered. She said Pfizer’s orders had to be in lots of 975 and not fewer, while Moderna’s vaccines could be ordered in units of 100, which could be useful for smaller communities. A couple of other companies also are expected to have COVID-19 vaccines ready soon, and go through the FDA emergency use authorization process.
Dr. Satterwhite said the initial 6.4 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will be available, and the federal government is holding half of them back in order that those who get the first 3.2 million shots can get a second shot. It is a two-shot vaccine, with the second shot coming a few weeks after the first.
She also said the federal government has a plan, addressing safety and claims, to protect those who get the vaccine and the companies that make the vaccine.
Psychologist Danielle Johnson said there could be a significant amount of persons in minority communities who do not trust the vaccine because of a past history of experimentation on minority populations. She recommended that people get their information not from social media, but from trusted news sources and from their trusted health care providers.
The doctors also discussed two persons in England who had a reaction to the Pfizer vaccine. According to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, University of Kansas Health System medical director of infection prevention and control, the two patients were reported to have a history of allergies and were carrying Epi pens. The UK health officials later said those with severe allergies shouldn’t get the vaccine.
Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said they will be monitoring patients for 15 minutes after they receive the vaccine to make sure they do not have an allergic reaction.
Dr. Stites said the hospitals have been getting ready for a surge of post-Thanksgiving COVID-19 cases, and currently, their COVID-19 patient numbers are steady, after experiencing an increase last week. There were 153 COVID-19 patients at KU Health System on Wednesday morning, down slightly from 156 on Tuesday. More than half of the 89 active COVID-19 patients were in the intensive care unit, a decline from 52 on Tuesday.
Dr. Lewis Satterwhite, a critical care physician, said the health system started with zero COVID-19 ICUs and increased to five ICUs. During the past few weeks, there has been an increased work load for the medical staff.
“We are dealing with more deaths daily in the ICU,” he said. “It takes its toll.”
While everyone is feeling its impact, at the same time they are trying to band together to support each other, he said.
He said on Tuesday, there were seven patients in their 40s in the ICU, slightly more in their 50s, with the majority of ICU patients in their 60s and 70s. The majority of the patients had significant comorbidities, sometimes multiple comorbidities, he said.
In the past they have had some patients in their 30s in the ICU, as well, he said.
Dr. Stites said they earlier had some patients 18 to 20 years old, including some who did not have underlying medical conditions, and they lost some of them. He said the young and asymptomatic who have COVID-19 may not know whether they lost a little part of their heart function or lung function, and may not notice it until much later.
He encouraged people to keep wearing their masks, social distancing and washing hands, and he believes the benefits of getting the vaccine far outweigh the risks.
As Kansas approaches a total 2,000 COVID-19 deaths, Dr. Catherine Satterwhite said although they’re doing better on a number of things, people are tiring of COVID-19 and cold weather is approaching, with people starting to stay indoors more. The way to have an impact is to take personal responsibility for protecting yourself, neighbors and family, and follow the lead of local health authorities, she said. People can still take steps to flatten the curve, she said.
Case numbers increasing
On Wednesday, Kansas reported 179,803 total COVID-19 cases, an increase of 5,778 from Monday. There were a total of 1,941 deaths, an increase of 85 deaths statewide since Monday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Wyandotte County reported 11,929 total COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 123 since Tuesday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There were no additional deaths reported, for a cumulative total of 184.
There was a total of 101,055 cumulative cases in the Mid-America Regional Council Kansas City Region, a nine-county area. A total of 1,190 COVID-19 deaths were reported, an increase of 16 in the nine-county area.
Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 15,379,574 total COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 287,283 cumulative deaths.
Free COVID-19 testing available Thursday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at Vibrant Health Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.
This pop-up test is through Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. The tests are now saliva COVID-19 tests.
The tests now are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
For more information about other test sites in Wyandotte County, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
For more information about the testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.
The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/851614455632787.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
For more information, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order. Also, the Wyandotte County health order with a limit of 10 persons to a gathering, and a closing time of 10 p.m. for restaurants and bars, with other new restrictions, is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/11162020localhealthorderexecuted.pdf.
The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
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 CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.