COVID-19 – Page 62 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Vaccines make a difference for youth sports

COVID-19 vaccines have made a difference for young athletes and sports this summer and fall.

According to Dr. David Smith, medical director of youth sports medicine, summer and fall looks more normal for youth sports, with the availability of vaccines for those 12 and older. He discussed youth sports at the Wednesday morning media update at the University of Kansas Health System.

He serves on the Kansas State High School Activities Association Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

Occasionally, there have been reports of parents who didn’t cooperate with contact tracing involving their children in sports activities.

Some young athletes may think that if people find out they are positive for COVID-19, then the athlete will have to stay out for 10 days, some other members of the team who were exposed may not get to play and the team will be mad at them.

However, Dr. Smith said honesty is the best policy, and if people think their children have been exposed, they should get them tested.

“If not for yourself, do it for those you’re around,” he said.

He also said when he meets someone who is not convinced to get their young athlete vaccinated, he tries to sit down and talk to them about their concerns. It’s better to talk to your doctor about your concerns than to consult the internet, he said.

Free walk-in vaccinations available

The Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge) will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 12 and older from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 17. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.

Free vaccines also are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Vibrant Health Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.
People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org. Residents may request rides to the vaccination clinic through a form on the same website.

The Unified Government Health Department vaccination hours changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

The Health Department is doing more mobile COVID-19 vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.

Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.

Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.

To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.

Other sites available for vaccinations

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

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers at the University of Kansas Health System were steady on Wednesday morning. Fifteen active COVID-19 patients were being treated at the hospital, the same as Tuesday. Two patients were in the intensive care unit, no change. One was on a ventilator, the same as Tuesday. Ten other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase, an increase of three.. There were 25 total COVID-19 patients, an increase of three. Only one of the active patients is fully vaccinated, and that patient was COVID-positive since December and is very severely immunosuppressed. Another unvaccinated patient was on life support in the ICU. Other hospitals in the Kansas City area were seeing a slight increase in patients.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 13 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, June 16, for a cumulative 18,953 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 175,739 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 52.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 316,343 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, June 16, an increase of 329 cases since Monday. There were a total of 5,125 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of three.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday night reported 33,498,506 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 600,653 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 11,304 new cases nationwide and 339 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were Texas, 1,338; California, 1,261; Missouri, 582; Louisiana, 559; and Washington, 433.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Brazil, 80,609; India, 62,224; Argentina, 27,260; Colombia, 22,677; and U.S., 11,304.

Free testing available

Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, at the former Kmart store, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, at the Health Department’s central location.

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.

Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/328302978916960.

The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.

A vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.

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.

Slight increase seen in COVID-19 hospitalizations

A slight increase has been reported in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to doctors at the University of Kansas Health System.

The KU Health System reported 15 active COVID-19 patients on Tuesday morning, with seven in the recovery phase, for a total of 22 COVID-19 patients, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control.

Other hospitals in the Greater Kansas City area also are reporting an uptick in the number of COVID-19 patients, the doctors said during the morning media update. While it is nowhere near the numbers in the hundreds last winter, it is still cautionary, according to the doctors.

Dr. Hawkinson said only one of the patients at KU Health System was fully vaccinated, and that person was severely immunosuppressed. The virus had infected the patient for several months before the vaccination.

Three of the 15 patients were only partially vaccinated, with one receiving a vaccine only about a week or less before the initial symptoms. Another patient, who is intubated, did not receive a vaccination, he said.

He encouraged people to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of being hospitalized.

A recent study showed that more than 25 percent of 2 million people who had COVID-19 had long-haul symptoms. About 19 percent of them had mild or asymptomatic cases, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System.

The evidence is mounting that the long-haul syndrome is real, he said, and there is a need for vaccination.

Dr. Mario Castro, vice chair of clinical and translational research at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said 20 to 30 percent of those who have been infected by COVID-19 is a large group, about 6 to 7 million people in the United States.

The new Novavax vaccine is 90 to 100 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe infection from COVID, he said. People who are vaccine hesitant need to be encouraged to get a vaccine.

“This is not only going to impact us today, but it’s also going to impact us in the long haul, as we think about the years this will take from recovery from this,” Dr. Castro said.

He discussed the trials underway at the medical center for monoclonal antibody therapies, including one pill, which can be given to those who are within the first several days of the COVID-19 disease.

He also discussed a new trial for asthma sufferers. Those interested in joining the trial may call Shelby Almo at 913-574-3006, for more information.

Free walk-in vaccinations available

The former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave. will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 12 and older from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.

Childhood vaccinations will be available from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. For more details, see https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-vaccines-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.

Free vaccines also are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org. Residents may request rides to the vaccination clinic through a form on the same website.

Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.

To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.

Other sites available for 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

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers at the University of Kansas Health System were higher Tuesday morning. Fifteen active COVID-19 patients were being treated at the hospital, an increase of four. Two patients were in the intensive care unit, no change. One was on a ventilator, a decrease of one. Seven other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase, an increase of two. There were 22 total COVID-19 patients, an increase of six.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 17 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, June 15, since Monday, for a cumulative 18,940 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 175,605 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Tuesday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 48.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 316,014 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Monday, June 14, an increase of 245 cases since Friday. There were a total of 5,125 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 19.
On Monday, June 14, the KDHE reported 59,450 cumulative cases in Johnson County, an increase of 39 cases since Friday. Leavenworth County had 7,290 cumulative cases, an increase of four since Friday. Sedgwick County had 57,633 cases, an increase of 83 cases since Friday, according to KDHE.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday night reported 33,485,859 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 600,271 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 12,710 new cases nationwide and 170 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were California, 1,366; North Carolina, 1,228; Texas, 978; Washington, 556; and Louisiana, 554.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were India, 60,471; Brazil, 39,846; Colombia, 24,376; Argentina, 21,292; and U.S., 12,710, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available

Free COVID-19 testing is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 16, at the former Kmart store, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, at the Health Department’s central location.

Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.

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 KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/760356101297829.

The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.

A vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.

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.

Governor says state to continue to fight against COVID-19 despite disaster declaration expiring

Kansas will continue its fight against COVID-19, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.

Although the Kansas disaster declaration was allowed to expire today by the Legislative Coordinating Council, the state will continue its effort to vaccinate people, she said.

“We are going to keep doing what we have been doing,” Gov. Kelly said Tuesday. “It just will be harder without the disaster declaration.”

The declaration allowed the state to activate some resources including the Kansas National Guard and Emergency Management Division, and they will no longer have that ability, she said. They will still fight COVID-19, it will just be a different process, more cumbersome and more expensive, and starting from scratch putting it in place, she added.

The emergency declaration would have allowed the state to continue to contract with a number of nurses who provide vaccinations, Gov. Kelly said. She added they would have to revamp and figure out a different way to do it.

Also, by ending the state disaster declaration, it complicates the state’s relationships with the local units of government and the local health departments, she said. The state will have to figure out a different way to partner with the local health departments to make sure they’re getting what they need, she added.

A lot of the local services were in partnership with the state and with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, she said.

“We will continue to work with people and for people,” Gov. Kelly said. “It is just more complicated.”

There was no good reason other than political reasons to end this disaster declaration now, she added.

“Our intent was to ramp up our vaccination efforts in our school-age kids,” she said, making sure they had their vaccinations before schools reopened in August. “That’s something that we’ll do, but the state will have to pay for it and will have to put in place a new structure.”

The governor had submitted a detailed plan to the Legislative Coordinating Council to extend the disaster declaration (see https://wyandotteonline.com/governor-asks-lcc-to-extend-states-disaster-declaration/).

Wyandotte County extended its own local state of emergency for 90 days by a unanimous vote of the Unified Government Commission on June 10. This action will allow the local government to receive federal funding for the vaccination sites and other efforts to fight COVID-19, according to local officials.

The state was receiving federal funding for vaccination clinics and also for other programs, such as extra assistance for those on food stamps.

Gov. Kelly, state and local health officials saved countless numbers of lives during the 15 months the disaster declaration was in place in Kansas.

On Tuesday, the governor credited local public health departments with being remarkably responsive, innovative and absolutely passionate about the future.

Tuesday morning, the Legislative Coordinating Council let the disaster declaration expire by canceling the meeting where it was scheduled to be discussed. The declaration expires today. Senate President Ty Masterson released a statement, with Senate Vice President Rick Wilborn and Majority Larry Alley:

“At last month’s LCC meeting, a majority of legislative leaders made it clear that June 15th was likely to be the end of the state of emergency – that after 15 months, it is time for Kansas to return to normal. As such, the LCC recommended the governor develop an exit strategy to end the emergency – however, after reviewing the governor’s letter, it appears the governor opted for an extension strategy.

“The legislature and the LCC have granted the governor every extension request over the last year, but the current circumstances surrounding COVID-19 no longer necessitate a statewide disaster emergency. The governor has not provided adequate justification for the LCC to grant her request for yet another extension, and all remaining efforts related to COVID-19 can and should take place under our normal procedures. As such, the statewide disaster emergency will expire as planned.”

Kansas Democratic Party Chairwoman Vicki Hiatt stated:
“The decision by Kansas Republican leaders to end the disaster declaration is nothing more than reckless political action that risks the health of Kansas families and our small businesses. To be clear, ending the disaster declaration doesn’t end the pandemic, it only makes it more difficult for the state to administer vaccines — especially to our children who will be going back to school come August.”

Kansas House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins issued a statement, with Speaker Ron Ryckman and Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch, all Republicans:

“Today marks 460 days since the Governor’s declaration of a disaster related to COVID-19. It is time for the declared disaster to end and recovery to begin. We asked the Governor for a detailed plan to justify the need for a further extension and the winding down of our state’s emergency response. What we received was an acknowledgment that nearly all executive orders could end immediately, and nearly all mission assignments could be closed by today. The Governor has failed to make a case for continuing the extraordinary measures that come with a declared disaster.

“The remaining goal to make vaccines available to all Kansans who want them is one that our state can achieve without emergency measures and executive orders. There are adequate medical personnel to meet the current demand for vaccines and the regular authority available to the Governor under the laws of our state is sufficient to meet these needs.

“The emergency part of this disaster has thankfully passed. Now is the time to help Kansans recover, rally and return to normal.”