Category: COVID-19

Ideas on having a safe Memorial Day weekend, with gatherings following the Kansas reopening plan, include limiting the number who gather to under 15, going to a restaurant that adheres to safety guidelines and going to parks while maintaining social distancing.

COVID-19 is still a concern in Kansas and in Wyandotte County, as the area prepares to celebrate Memorial Day.

The Unified Government COVID-19 webpage on Saturday afternoon reported 1,255 positive cases, an increase of 28 cases since 10:45 a.m. Friday. There were no new deaths reported on Saturday.

With Memorial Day approaching, Gov. Laura Kelly is reminding Kansans to enjoy the holiday weekend with safety in mind.

COVID-19-related guidance and requirements related to gatherings are outlined in the governor’s reopening plan, and reflect her decision to move Kansas into a modified version of Phase 2 of the plan, starting Friday. The plan and additional safety guidance can be found at covid.ks.gov.

“The Memorial Day weekend is one of the first holidays of the year when people want to get outside and enjoy the weather, and spend time with their families and friends,” Gov. Kelly said. “But no one should use this as an excuse to ignore health and safety guidelines.”

The following is allowed on Memorial Day, according to “Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen Kansas”:

• Have a gathering in your home with 15 or fewer individuals, not including those you live with.
• Use your backyard pool for any parties, so long as mass gathering restrictions are met.
• Have a drive-through parade, so long as no more than 15 individuals are outside the car and they are able to maintain social distancing.
• Go to a restaurant with your friends and family, so long as that business meets the necessary health and safety requirements.
• Engage in outdoor activities at parks or other public spaces, so long as social distancing and mass gathering requirements are met.

Here’s what you can’t do on Memorial Day according to the “Ad Astra” plan:

• Hold or attend an in-person fair, festival or parade.
• Use community, public and other non-backyard pools for parties or gatherings.
• Go to bars or nightclubs.
• Have ceremonies or gatherings that violate the mass gathering limit of 15 or more individuals when a 6-foot distance cannot be met, except for infrequent or incidental moments of contact.

Additional health tips include:

• Stay home if sick.
• Practice social distancing whenever possible.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover cough and sneezes into an elbow or tissue.
• Wear masks (especially in places where social distancing is difficult to maintain).
• Stay home if you or a loved one is considered high risk.

For those having parties or gatherings this weekend:

• Have cleaning supplies readily available.
• Avoid using buffets and other self-service food stations.
• Have individuals with gloves and masks serve food.
• Avoid punchbowls or other communal drink stations.
• Use disposable plate and utensils if unable to constantly clean dishes.
• Plan outdoor activities rather than indoor ones.
• Practice social distancing and maintain ventilation through your home by opening doors or windows if engaging in indoor activities.

For more information on health and safety guidance, or to see Gov. Kelly’s reopening plan, visit the Kansas COVID-19 Response and Recovery website at https://covid.ks.gov/.

The UG’s COVID-19 information page is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

Wyandotte County is under the state’s Phase 2 plan at covid.ks.gov.

The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The state has an information page about what activities are safe on Memorial Day weekend, at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Safe-Memorial-Day-Guidance-5.19_Final.pdf.

Additional guidelines from the governor’s office about Phase 2 are at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/AdAstraUpdate519.pdf

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Test sites are listed at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.

The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Kansas today reported 8,958 cases, an increase of 419 cases since Wednesday, according to Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health.

Dr. Norman said the number of deaths increased by seven in the state, to 185, since Wednesday.

Hospitalizations and death rates per capita were improving, he said at a news conference. While the number of positive cases is increasing with more testing, the percentage of positive cases is declining, he said.

Gov. Laura Kelly at the news conference took legislators to task for their behavior and for passing complex legislation in the middle of the night that other legislators did not have the opportunity to read and review. The Legislature, which had to leave in March because of COVID-19, adjourned this morning and is not scheduled to return until January.

On Thursday, overnight and this morning, there were many time-honored decorums of the Senate that were thrown out the window, she said. She added that lobbyists and Republican leaders crafted self-serving legislation behind closed doors, and that when the bills reached the floor, all public debate was banned.

She said she could not say yet if she would veto legislation limiting the governor’s power in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she said she would make decisions after reading and reviewing the bills, on their own merits.

Gov. Kelly said she would continue to implement the state’s Ad Astra plan to safely reopen the economy when it is safe. She said she shared the concern that there is a need to get Kansans back to work as safely as possible.

On Friday, the first day of the state’s moving into Phase 2 of the Ad Astra reopening plan, Dr. Norman reminded residents that just because the state is starting this phase, it doesn’t mean the coronavirus is going away.

He mentioned that an outbreak between May 2 and May 10 was attributed to an outing at Lake Perry, and added that anyone with symptoms who went there should see a health care provider.

“If you go out for any reason, wear a mask,” Dr. Norman said. When you don’t wear a mask, you’re not in control of your world, he said, and you don’t know who is on the elevator with you who may have coughed or sneezed. “One way to take control is with a mask.”

Dr. Norman said actions overnight in the Kansas Legislature served as a disappointment, but they try to remain separate from political processes. He said they would try to depoliticize the process and continue to do prevention and public health work. They will continue to do the job they have to do, he said.

Dr. Norman reported that there were 99 clusters in the state, with half of them active, resulting in 4,960 cases and 133 deaths.

Three clusters in corrections facilities resulted in 971 cases and 6 deaths, he said.
Ten clusters in gatherings resulted in 126 cases and 11 deaths. Eight of these clusters are now closed cases.
Group living situations had 7 clusters, five of which are closed, 68 cases and 2 deaths, he said.
Health care had 3 clusters, now closed, with 22 cases, he said.
Long-term care facilities had 26 clusters, with 13 closed, 632 cases and 104 deaths, he said.
Meatpacking plants had 10 clusters, with 2,398 cases and 7 deaths, he said.
Private industry had 40 clusters, with 21 closed, 343 cases and 3 deaths, he said.

On Friday, the KDHE reported that Wyandotte County had 1,269 cases; Leavenworth County, with outbreaks at the state prison, had 1,069 cases; and Johnson County had 711 cases.

In all, 88 counties reported positive COVID-19 cases. Some of the other counties with high numbers were Ford County, 1,558; Finney County, 1,367; Seward County, 815; Sedgwick County, 523; Lyon County, 377; and Shawnee County, 249. Jackson County, Kansas, where there is a meatpacking plant, rose to 82 cases. There were 31 cases there on Wednesday.

Douglas County reported 62 cases and Riley County reported 60.

The governor’s and health secretary’s news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/.

The UG’s COVID-19 information page is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

Wyandotte County is under the state’s Phase 2 plan starting Friday at covid.ks.gov.

The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The state has an information page about what activities are safe on Memorial Day weekend, at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Safe-Memorial-Day-Guidance-5.19_Final.pdf.

Additional guidelines from the governor’s office about Phase 2 are at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/AdAstraUpdate519.pdf.

Test sites are listed at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19.
The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.