Category: COVID-19

Wyandotte County chief medical officer issues health order on religious services

The chief medical officers of Wyandotte County has issued a new health order on holding religious services here.

The order goes into effect in time for some Passover and Easter services in Wyandotte County.

Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer of Wyandotte County, issued the order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to the document.

The order stated that churches, businesses and all other groups must avoid gatherings of more than 10 people and maintain a 6-foot distance between people.

The new order also provides rules for any religious organizations that might want to hold drive-in services.


Recent activity in the state capitol has caused confusion about religious gatherings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and during a sacred time for people of many faiths and spiritualities, a news release from the Health Department stated.

Although the governor’s recent Executive Order 20-18 has been rescinded, the earlier Stay at Home Executive Order remains in effect until at least April 19, the UG Health Department stated. The spirit of the Stay at Home order is simple: limit the spread of this life-threatening virus by avoiding close contact with other people as much as possible, a spokesman stated.

Dr. Greiner, Mayor David Alvey, and the Unified Government strongly discourage gatherings of any size, according to the news release.

“In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Wyandotte County, it is absolutely critical that community organizations like churches, businesses, and all of our community members stay home as much as possible, avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, and maintain a 6-foot distance between people in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Greiner said in the news release.

In cooperation with the governor’s Stay at Home Order, Dr. Greiner issued a health order on Thursday, April 9 providing guidance to local churches that wish to hold drive-in operations when online, radio or other telecommunications tools are not available.

While the UG strongly discourages gatherings of any size, the order stated that any in-person religious services held should adhere to the following requirements:

• Attendees may arrive for the service no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of the service and must disperse immediately following the service;

• Each vehicle should only have members of the same household in the vehicle

  • No vehicle should have members from different households together in a vehicle;
  • Attendees must remain in their cars for the entirety of the service. If a person gets out of his or her vehicle, he or she may be asked to leave the service;
  • Attendees may roll down the driver’s side (left) window(s) only, and park in such a manner that adjacent vehicles do not have open windows between them;
  • Attendees will not enter the church building during the service for any reason, including using restrooms. Celebrants may enter the building as needed to prepare and close the service:
  • There will be no distribution or sharing of materials, including written material or communion;
  • There will be no passing of objects such as collection plates, baskets, etc.

Following these critical steps will help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and it will help keep yourself, your family, and your community safe, health officials stated.

“This is a time of year where many faith communities and families come together. We know how difficult it is to ask people to not observe these important events with in-person gatherings. That said, individuals can best protect themselves, their families, and the community by staying at home. These efforts will allow us to more quickly emerge from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying home is necessary to protect us all,” Dr. Greiner said.

Large group gatherings have already worsened the spread of COVID-19 in Wyandotte County and elsewhere, according to the Health Department.

In Kansas, there have been 23 confirmed cases, including 11 Wyandotte County residents, linked to the Minister’s Conference March 16-22 at Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ. Additionally, there have been 3 positive cases associated with a gala on March 14 at Rising Star Baptist Church and 3 cases linked to church services on March 8 at Power Realm Church of God in Christ.

“Our family will not be able to join in person with other families of our parish for Holy Week and Easter liturgies and family celebrations. People in Wyandotte County already feel this special loss. Yet we must, and will, keep our common faith while keeping our social distance,” Mayor David Alvey said in the news release.

Churches are creative, but will their event pass the rules test?

One church in eastern Kansas City, Kansas, reportedly plans to set up chairs on the lawn, spaced six feet apart, for services.

Janell Friesen, spokesman for the UG Health Department, said that any gatherings of more than 10 people now, for any reason, are not recommended.

“We would not recommend having something where people are in the same space together, even if that’s an outdoor space,” she said. They would not recommend people getting out of their cars to attend.

The order strongly encourages churches or organizations to hold services remotely, using communications tools, she said.

The order also outlines rules for holding a service in a church parking lot.

Another Kansas City, Kansas, church has announced plans for a “drive-by” service, and Friesen said without knowing the exact details, it sounds similar to the rules of the drive-in services. She said any traffic should be in the parking lot and not blocking traffic on a street.

A group of teachers who recently held a parade of possibly 30 cars past their students’ residences was broken up in Kansas City, Kansas, on a recent weekend.

Friesen said probably the reason is that it was on a public street without a parade permit, and a parade was not listed as an essential activity on the “stay-at-home” orders.

That is why groups may want to check with the police first before they have some similar activity, she said.

The governor’s Stay at Home Order will remain in effect until at least April 19, the Health Department stated. Churches planning parking lot services are encouraged to advise the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department in advance by calling 913-225-4788. The line is staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. During other hours, calls should be made to the KCKPD non-emergency number, 913-596-3000.

Residents with questions about the governor’s Stay at Home Order may contact 3-1-1 or visit mywyco.wycokck.org.

To learn more about the County’s COVID-19 response and access FAQs and information, visit wycokck.org/COVID-19.

To see a copy of the new health order, issued April 9, visit https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/LocalHealthOfficersOrdeRegardingReligiousServices04092020.pdf.

Gov. Kelly sues Legislative Coordinating Council after it overturned limits on church groups

Kansas reported 1,106 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases on Thursday in 57 of 105 counties, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were a total f 42 deaths in Kansas since the start of the pandemic. (KDHE map)
A KDHE chart reported total cases in yellow and new cases in blue. There was a spike in deaths on Wednesday. (KDHE chart)

Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news conference on Thursday that her office will sue the Legislative Coordinating Council over its action on Wednesday, overturning her order that churches be limited to 10 or less people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said she was taking the action “to ensure that politics does not hinder our ability to save Kansas lives.”

Also, the suit is being filed with the Kansas Supreme Court to expedite the issue and bring it to a conclusion. The governor’s order was issued earlier this week, just before religious holidays. The state’s medical officials have recommended that people stay at home and not gather in groups during the holidays to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Kelly said this is not a normal disagreement about politics. This time, it could jeopardize the health and safety of Kansans, and they don’t have time to play games, she said.

The LCC, a group of seven Kansas legislative leaders, typically makes decisions when the Legislature is not meeting.

Gov. Kelly said the Kansas Emergency Management Act empowers the Legislature as a whole, not the LCC, to make those decisions.

What the LCC did yesterday with its action was to weaken and confuse the state’s emergency response efforts, putting every Kansan at risk, Gov. Kelly said. She added she would not stand by while lives were in jeopardy.

Also on Wednesday, Kansas Attorney General wrote a letter to law enforcement officials stating his view that the governor’s order on limiting the number of people attending church gatherings was illegal and should not be enforced.

In a House Republican leadership news release found on a Facebook page, House leaders stated that they were concerned and disappointed. They stated they were trying to resolve differences. The attorney general’s advice is that the order is unconstitutional and unenforceable, they stated. They also said they agreed with the governor on key points such as Kansans staying home on Easter and Passover; continuing to have alternative forms of worship and online services; churches following the CDC and KDHE guidelines; and working together to flatten the curve.

However, they also said that “Kansans should not be arrested for practicing their faith.” The release stated the governor opted to create confusion and tie the issue up in the courts.

Kansas reported 1,112 positive COVID-19 cases today, and a total of 42 deaths, according to statistics from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There are 263 hospitalizations. There were 1,046 positive cases on Wednesday.

There were 11 deaths on Wednesday and four more on Thursday. The four deaths today were in Wyandotte County.

In other action, Gov. Kelly said a new phone system has been installed at the Kansas Department of Labor, where 1.6 million calls were received Monday.

She said the new system handled 1,300 calls this morning, about the same number as it handled in a single day previously. Those who are making an unemployment claim are asked to use the website, getkansasbenefits.gov, not the phone number. The phone number is reserved for non-English speakers and members of the military. The website is the quickest way to get benefits.

To view the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/155161369154168/.

The governor’s petition is at https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2F001-Petition.pdf&data=02%7C01%7C%7C6948d6b48c444651140008d7dcd3d225%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637220674622275614&sdata=5oCpZ2Z8avJfEw2Q3Ix482bjRI6H%2BhAyeVpNHcR2p6E%3D&reserved=0.

A memorandum in support of the governor’s petition is at https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgovernor.kansas.gov%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F04%2F002-Memo-in-Support.pdf&data=02%7C01%7C%7C6948d6b48c444651140008d7dcd3d225%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637220674622275614&sdata=7I1jt3CviDpzw4EZJ64CMilD5bZ5E6SGzsJzheSuazQ%3D&reserved=0

The House leadership statement on the governor’s lawsuit is at https://www.facebook.com/RonWRyckman/.

The Kansas COVID-19 resource page is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.

The UG COVID-19 website 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.

Grinter Quilters assist by sewing face masks

The Grinter Quilters are assisting with fighting COVID-19 by making face masks while they are at home.

According to Lezlie Brillhart, president of the Grinter Quilters, about six members of the organization are working individually at home and have provided hundreds of the face masks to local residents and organizations. She only recently started helping with the effort, she added, and has made about 30 masks herself.

Recently, the CDC recommended face masks for those who are going out. Wyandotte County and Kansas are currently under stay-at-home orders.

Some of the masks have been given to health clinics, neighbors and organizations, she said. Others have gone to churches, gyms and organizations that are not currently meeting but are waiting for the stay-at-home orders to end. A hospital didn’t need the homemade masks, she said, since they have masks that are made to medical specifications.

All the meetings at Grinter Place have been canceled because of the “stay-at-home” order, and at this time of the year, the Grinter Quilters would usually have been working on a number of quilts at Grinter Place.

The annual Grinter Quilt Show in the last week of April had to be canceled, she said, and now the Grinter Quilters are waiting to see if it can be rescheduled later in the year.

“The masks are not that difficult to make,” Brillhart said. There are not too many connections between sewing quilts and sewing masks, she added. “The only thing to say is we all have sewing machines. This is a project we can do at our homes.”

She said as quilters, they always have a lot of scraps of material left over that can be used for masks.

She said she hopes their efforts help people.

“I understand masks are pretty much mandatory for people, and a lot don’t know where to go. They can’t go out and shop for them,” she said.

It is nice to be able to do something at this time, she said.

“We’re just sitting at home, too,” she said.