Category: COVID-19

$1.85 million in housing assistance approved by UG

An extra $1.85 million in housing insecurity assistance and other assistance was approved by the Unified Government Commission on Thursday night.

The funding will come from the $87 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that the UG is receiving.

At the meeting, UG Commissioner Jane Philbrook thanked UG Administrator Doug Bach and the UG staff for putting together the housing assistance proposal that the commissioners had requested a few weeks ago. She thanked them for understanding that this is an emergency and not something they can put off for a few months.

“Some of these folks are already in the streets,” Commissioner Philbrook said.

Ten to 12 Wyandotte County nonprofit agencies could receive funding to help with housing insecurities.

Just around an hour or so after the UG voted, news came out about the end of the national eviction moratorium. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated a stay on evictions on Thursday. The court wrote, “It strains credulity to believe that this statute grants the CDC the sweeping authority that it asserts.”

Justice Stephen Breyer dissented from the majority’s opinion, including in his opinion a chart of the cases and deaths from COVID-19 and the Delta variant, which are currently rising in the nation. He cited irreparable harm from vacating the stay, as COVID-19 rates have spiked in recent weeks. The opinion is online at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/20pdf/21a23_ap6c.pdf.

At the UG meeting, UG Commissioners Gayle Townend and Melissa Bynum also had spoken in favor of allotting more money for direct housing and basic needs assistance for Wyandotte County residents. The measure passed unanimously.

Commissioner Bynum said with an injection of revenues that they have never seen before, the UG has an amazing opportunity to take a problem that impacts every corner of the community and put in a structure that solves it, with their community partners. They have an opportunity to make a huge leap forward for many struggling residents in the community, she said.

Commissioner Christian Ramirez said he was in support of the housing insecurity funding, and other ARPA funding remaining will be an opportunity for real change in the community.

Commissioner Tom Burroughs urged the UG to get those dollars out to the community to those in need, and not to wait.

The housing assistance program will go through the UG Health Department, according to officials. Juliann Van Liew, Health Department director, said it will be run similar to the CARES Act funding, which went through the United Way to distribute funding to several nonprofit agencies in Wyandotte County that have traditionally handled this sort of assistance.

While there has been a state program funded with federal dollars to assist renters with housing and utility needs, they have been hearing from nonprofit agencies that residents had trouble accessing the program funding, and that the agencies needed funding to help the residents with their applications. The state program was narrowly defined as to who would be eligible for the funding.

With the UG’s allocation, the nonprofit agencies would have broader discretion on helping individuals with housing needs, according to Van Liew.

Commissioner Townsend was in favor of broader discretion in helping individuals. The objective would be to keep residents in their dwellings, she said.

Besides housing assistance, the plans are to use the funding for utility and food assistance, according to Van Liew.

Evictions have been linked to COVID-19, as some residents have lost jobs because of the economic effects of the pandemic. Others may have contracted the virus and been unable to work. Some families have lost income earners to death from the virus.

The details of the UG’s program are expected to be announced at a later time. The program would run through January 2022, according to the UG resolution.

The UG Commission also approved the $87 million that is being allocated from ARPA funding.

About $11.7 million will be spent on “immediate needs.” This plan was outlined at a meeting a few weeks ago. The $1.8 million for housing assistance is in addition to the $11.7 million.

Most of the $87 million the UG is receiving in ARPA funding is going to revenue loss replacement from COVID, according to UG officials, including $31 million for the city and $11 million for the county.

The remainder of the funding, $24 million for the city and $21 million for the county, is available to be spent on other ARPA categories as outlined by federal guidelines, according to UG officials. There is currently a UG administration proposal to use some of the funds to build up the UG’s reserves for a year or two.

The UG received around half of the federal funding this year, with the rest to be received next year. The UG will have a few years to make decisions on how to spend the remainder of the funding that was not allocated for revenue loss replacement.

Of the $11.7 million in “immediate needs,” public health will receive $5.95 million; while $2.38 million will go to reduce negative economic impact; $1.07 million will be for disproportionately impacted communities assistance; $422,000 will go to ARPA grant support; and $1.93 million will go toward online processing and technology investment.

According to UG officials, there is still time for residents to suggest their ideas on how to spend the money through an online forum at https://dashboards.mysidewalk.com/american-rescue-plan-act or by email to [email protected].

More information on the UG meeting is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbq2U0j3Rn8.

Health Department issues guidance for gatherings

The Unified Government Health Department on Thursday issued new guidance for gatherings of groups in Wyandotte County.

Groups should be limited to 25 persons outdoors for fully vaccinated persons, according to the new guidance. Indoor groups of fully vaccinated persons should be limited to 10, according to the Health Department.

For persons who are not fully vaccinated, the guidance is that they are safest if they avoid gathering with others who are not in their household, according to the Health Department.

The guidance included different levels such as “less safe,” “moderate risk” and “high risk.”

According to a news release, the guidance was issued for personal or social gatherings to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in Wyandotte County and the Kansas City area.

It is in response to a recent increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, as well as the spread of the Delta variant, according to the Health Department. The Health Department plans to monitor COVID-19 data for Wyandotte County closely in the coming weeks and re-evaluate the gathering guidance in late September 2021, according to the news release.

For those who are fully vaccinated, the safest option is to limit gathering size and wear masks, excepet when they are both outdoors and socially distanced, according to the Health Department.


Residents should choose outdoor gatherings rather than indoor gatherings when possible, the Health Department stated. Gatherings should be limited to 25 people. If 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained, persons should wear a mask, the Health Department stated.

For indoor gatherings, fully vaccinated persons should limit them to 10 people, wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of social distancing, the Health Department stated.

A less safe option for the fully vaccinated, if they choose to have gatherings larger than the recommended number of people, they are asked to continue to wear masks to reduce the risk, the Health Department stated.

People who are fully vaccinated are at high risk when they gather without masks and without limiting the number of people, particularly if they are gathering indoors, according to the Health Department

Those who are not fully vaccinated are safest when avoiding gatherings with people who do not live in their household, according to the Health Department.

Under moderate risk for those who are not fully vaccinated, the guidance is to limit outdoor gatherings to 25 people, maintain social distancing and wear a mask if 6 feet of social distancing will be difficult to maintain. For indoor gatherings, those who are not fully vaccinated should avoid indoor gatherings wherever possible. If people gather indoors, they should limit it to no more than 10 people, wear a mask at all times and maintain social distancing.

Those who are not fully vaccinated are at high risk if they gather without masks or in larger numbers of people, particularly if gathering indoors, according to the Health Department. This creates high risk for the spread of COVID-19, especially the Delta variant.

The Health Department stated this guidance does not apply to health care settings, public health clinics or events where free COVID-19 vaccines or COVID-19 tests will be administered.

The Health Department urges caution with large events to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community, according to the news release.

Any business, organization or group that is planning a large event that would like to receive guidance from the Health Department on COVID-19 safety for the event may email [email protected] or call 913-573-6712.

Crowded emergency rooms a challenge for hospitals

Crowded emergency rooms are posing a challenge for area hospitals, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System.

The topic of full hospitals and emergency departments was discussed at a Wednesday morning media update with Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System. The crowded conditions are caused by a surge in Delta variant cases of COVID-19, according to the doctors.

Dr. Chad Cannon, chair and clinical service chief of emergency medicine at the health system, said the emergency department used to start the day half full, but now the 55 beds are almost full at the beginning of the day. As the day goes on, patients pile up into the hallways and waiting rooms, he said.

Often, patients are in the waiting room for several hours, Dr. Cannon said. They are seen by an emergency physician. Sometimes they have to wait six to 10 hours to be admitted to a bed, he added.

Dr. Ryan Jacobsen, EMS physician adviser and medical director of Johnson County EMS, said it is currently a huge issue for ambulance crews to find a hospital that has space. All hospitals are at capacity, he said, and have been for some time.

As hospitals become full, typically the patients are waiting longer to be seen. EMS crews call it “wall time” when EMS has to sit and wait with a patient on an EMS cot before a hospital can find a bed, he said. Locally, in the Kansas City region, they often have to wait 30 to 45 minutes, according to Dr. Jacobsen.

If the patient can communicate, the patient tells an ambulance crew what hospital to go to. That presents problems sometimes for the crews, as often times the emergency departments are full. Sometimes they have to call three or four hospitals to find a spot for the patient. It puts the ambulance crew in a continual conundrum trying to explain that to the patient, he said.

They value the patient’s hospital preferences, but they also have to make sure ambulancs are in service to the community, he said.

Dr. Jacobsen said there are places in the Midwest, not in Kansas City, where there is a three to four hour wall time.

Dr. Cannon said it’s frustrating for staff to see what’s happening. As the surge continues, the staff knows there is a vaccine that can prevent it from happening, he said. They know that if people would take the vaccine, the surge wouldn’t be happening.

Dr. Jacobsen said the community should reserve 911 calls for emergencies, such as heart attacks, strokes and car accidents. If people have a minor illness or injury, they should call a primary care physician, he said.

Doctors also urged people not to participate in the milk crate challenge seen on social media and the internet. The participants climb on stacked milk crates and often fall, sometimes breaking arms, legs or getting head injuries, according to the doctors. It just creates more unnecessary medical emergencies and crowds hospitals and emergency rooms, according to the doctors. More information from this update is online at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=254341950028768&ref=notif&notif_id=1629896257063397&notif_t=live_video.

KCK plans program that could reduce frequent use of 911 system

Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Chief Michael Callahan said at the Aug. 23 Unified Government Public Works and Safety Committee meeting that there were some individuals who were using the 911 system more than they should. The program will try to assist some individuals who make frequent 911 calls.

Kansas City, Kansas, will implement an 18-month community paramedicine program in conjunction with a grant from Vibrant Health, he said.

A registered nurse and firefighter paramedic will go out on nonemergency calls to houses that activate the 911 system more than they should, he said.

They would make sure that individuals have access to care they need without activating the 911 system, he said. This program also will check to make sure individuals are taking medications and they are taking them as prescribed, that there is food in the home, and they will check for slip and fall hazards in the home, he said.

They will provide assets to individuals so they don’t have to activate the 911 system, he said. For more information, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAeC10oPlvI.

Free vaccines available

Free COVID-19 vaccines will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Vaccines are free for people ages 12 and older. There are gifts available, and a “Spin to Win” promotion is ongoing for Wyandotte County residents, as supplies last.

The Health Department announced it would increase the Spin to Win prizes, starting Aug. 18, for first vaccines given at the Kmart site, according to a Health Department spokesman. Previously prizes were as high as $50, and now they will go up to $100.

Currently, the incentives and prizes are only at the Kmart site, and only available for people who live in Wyandotte County and come in for their first dose. There have been other prizes at some of the community events that the mobile vaccine team has attended.

For more information on the Unified Government Health Department’s vaccine schedule, see WycoVaccines.org.

The Health Department has announced it will give a third vaccine shot to moderately to severe immunocompromised patients. For more information, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/health-department-to-provide-third-vaccine-doses-for-immunocompromised-people/.

A free vaccine and testing event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 26, at Cross-Lines Community Outreach, 736 Shawnee Ave. These events are being held in conjunction with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Mobile vaccines can still be requested online at WycoVaccines.org or by calling 3-1-1 (913-573-5311).

Other sites available for vaccinations

Some doctors’ offices offer COVID-19 vaccinations. If you haven’t received your vaccination yet, call your doctor’s office to see if it is available now.

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

On Wednesday morning, KU Health System reported 66 active COVID patients, the same as Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System. Eight were vaccinated, and all eight had significant health problems such as end stage liver disease, solid organ transplant, chemotherapy, lung disease and diabetes. Twenty-six patients were in the ICU, the same as Tuesday. Two of the ICU patients were vaccinated, one has cancer and the other is immunocompromised from a transplant. Fourteen were on ventilators, the same as Tuesday. Thirty-three other patients were still hospitalized because of COVID, but were out of the acute infection phase, the same as Tuesday. There were a total of 99 COVID patients, the same as Tuesday. Children’s Mercy Hospital reported 15 positive COVID patients, a decrease of three since Friday.

Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 22,146 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 156 since Tuesday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 324 deaths reported, an increase of one since Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 45.83 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 37.87 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 56.4 percent.

The Mid-America Regional Council on Wednesday reported 193,842 cases in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,608 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 141.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 362,321 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, Aug. 25, an increase of 3,478 since Monday, Aug. 23. There were a cumulative 5,535 deaths, an increase of 37 since Monday.

The KDHE reported 68,446 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Aug. 25, an increase of 482 since Aug. 23. Leavenworth County had 8,894 cases, an increase of 77 since Aug. 23. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 65,132 cases, an increase of 839 since Aug. 23.

Douglas County (the Lawrence area) had 10,260 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Aug. 25, an increase of 101 since Aug. 23, according to KDHE. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 21,188 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 241 since Aug. 23. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 7,027 cases, an increase of 15 cases since Aug. 23.

On Wednesday night, there were a cumulative 38,223,219 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with cumulative 632,272 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Free testing available

Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday 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.

Free COVID tests through WellHealth are being held at the Kansas National Guard Armory, including tests from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday at 100 S. 20th St., Kansas City, Kansas. There also are tests at the Armory from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Appointments can be made at gogettested.com/Kansas.


For more information on Health Department testing, visit www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

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.

To view the mask order in Kansas City, Kansas, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/mask-mandate-resolution-r-47-21-effective-august-6-through-september-16-2021.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/ug-issues-mask-order-for-kck-and-other-portions-of-wyco.pdf.