COVID-19 – Page 71 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Kansas puts Maine and 12 Colorado counties on its travel quarantine list

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has amended its travel quarantine list to include Maine, 12 counties in Colorado and the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania and the Netherlands.

Several states and countries have been removed from the list, including eight Colorado counties.These changes went into effect on May 20, according to a KDHE news release.

A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine includes visitors and Kansans who have:

• Traveled on or after May 20 to Maine or the Colorado counties of Alamosa, Baca, Costilla, Dolores, Mesa, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Rio Grande, Saguache, Sedgwick or Yuma.
• Traveled on or after May 20 to the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania or the Netherlands.
• Traveled on or after May 6 to the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Conejos, Crowley, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer or Pueblo.
• Traveled on or after May 6 to the countries of Cabo Verde, India, Maldives or Seychelles.
• Traveled on or after April 22 to Minnesota or the countries of Argentina, Bahrain or Sweden.
• Traveled on or after April 8 to the country of Uruguay.
• Traveled between May 6 to May 20 to the Colorado counties of Bent, city and county of Denver, Chaffee, Lake, Park, Phillips, Rio Blanco or San Juan.
• Traveled between April 22 and May 20 to Croatia, Cyprus or Turkey.
• Traveled between April 8 and May 20 to Pennsylvania.
• Traveled between March 26 and May 20 to Delaware, Michigan or Rhode Island.
• Traveled between March 12 and May 20 to the state of Palestine.
• Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
• Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.

The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1640/Shortened-Quarantine-Guidance-PDF—3-10-21?bidId=.

For those traveling internationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring testing within three days of flights into the U.S. For further information on this and other requirements, visit their website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery,

For those who are fully vaccinated (meaning it has been greater than two weeks since they completed their vaccinations) they are not required to quarantine regarding travel if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Are fully vaccinated (2 or more weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2- dose series, or 2 or more weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine).
• Have remained asymptomatic since the travel.

Persons who do not meet both of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.

Additionally, people with previous COVID-19 disease are not required to quarantine following travel if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Have evidence of a previous infection supported by a positive PCR or antigen test.
• Are within 6 months following infection. If an investigation was done documenting the date that symptoms resolved, or the date isolation measures were discontinued for asymptomatic patients, then the 6-month period can start from that end date. If those dates are not available, then the period will start from the date of the positive laboratory test. A serology or antibody test may not be substituted for a laboratory report of a viral diagnostic test.
• Have remained asymptomatic since the travel.

Persons who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.

The travel quarantine list is determined using a formula to evaluate new cases over a two-week period, then adjusted for population size to provide a case rate per 100,000 population, according to the spokesman. This provides a number that can then be compared to the rate in Kansas. Locations with significantly higher rates — approximately 3x higher — are added to the list.

For more information on COVID-19, visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.

Free vaccinations available Monday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 24, at the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, and the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The Kansas National Guard Armory location will be closed on Monday.

The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

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

The Health Department is doing more mobile 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.

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

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.

Case numbers reported

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 14 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 21, for a cumulative 18,687 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change. The numbers were not updated Saturday.
The UG Health Department reported on Wednesday that 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,642 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 139. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 53.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,997 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, May 21, an increase of 406 cases since Wednesday, May 19. There were a total cumulative 5,057 deaths reported statewide, an increase of four.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,961 cases on Friday, an increase of 97 since Wednesday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,243 cases on Wednesday, an increase of five since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,079 cases on Friday, an increase of 119 since Wednesday.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday night reported 33,104,800 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 589,703 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 28,341 new cases nationwide and 684 new deaths nationwide.
States with rising numbers of new cases were Florida, 2,371; Pennsylvania, 2,065; Washington, 1,646; Illinois, 1,579; and New York, 1,574.
Countries with rising numbers of new cases were India, 257,299; Brazil, 76,855; Argentina, 35,468; U.S., 28,341; and Colombia, 14,838, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Monday

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, May 24, at the Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. Testing is in conjunction with the Wyandotte Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not needed.

Free COVID-19 testing also will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 24, at the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave. and at the former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.
The National Guard Armory testing site will be closed on Monday. For more information, about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, May 24, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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 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=.

Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.

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.

Those who have had COVID-19 should get vaccinated, health professionals say

Those who have already had COVID-19 should get vaccinated, according to health professionals at the University of Kansas Health System news conference on Friday morning.

Those who have had COVID-19 are safe to be around 10 days after they stop having symptoms, said Amanda Cackler, a registered nurse who is director of quality and safety at the health system. She was answering community questions on Friday morning during a media update.

She said that having COVID-19 naturally helps the immune system, but getting the vaccine can bolster that immunity. She recommended getting the vaccine even if people have already had COVID-19.

When asked another question about how long parents should wait to get their 13-year-old a vaccine if a she had COVID-19 in January, Cackler said they shouldn’t wait.

“There’s still a benefit of getting the COVID-19 vaccine if you’ve had COVID-19, so I wouldn’t wait. If you have the opportunity, go ahead and get it,” Cackler said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, agreed, although he said he wouldn’t rush. He said there are plenty of vaccine clinics this weekend with walk-in availability.

Immunity by vaccination is a little more robust than immunity by infection, Dr. Hawkinson said. Advice from the CDC is that there is no minimum time between an infection and the time to get a vaccination, he said. However, patients are asked to wait more than 10 days between the time of their infection and the vaccination, in order to fulfill the isolation time.

They were also asked if someone has had COVID-19 and is not planning to get the vaccine, can they get COVID-19 again, be asymptomatic and still transmit the virus.

Cackler said there is probably a risk there. She is not sure about the rate of transmission and getting the disease again. What they know is the vaccine is helpful in preventing transmission, she said. Her advice would be to encourage her to get the vaccine.

Dr. Hawkinson said from early studies, last year some patients were less symptomatic and doing well, while others were more symptomatic and had to go to the hospital, some with bad outcomes.

If you get reinfected, you could be asymptomatic, he said. But they don’t have information about how much will be transmitted and spread to others, he said. The best advice is to get vaccinated, he added.

Dr. Hawkinson also said people should get vaccinated in order to have good protection against variants, including the main variant in India.

He said he would look forward to any booster vaccine that would fight against the South African and India variants.

In other news Friday, the Mid-America Regional Council sent out a news release that the region’s public health directors recommended that students continue wearing masks in school, following the guidance of the CDC.

Spokesmen for the Kansas City, Kansas, Turner, Bonner Springs and Piper school districts said earlier this week that all the districts were going to continue wearing masks through the end of this school year. Piper may discuss the issue for summer school at a board meeting in June.

“It’s great news that children ages 12 and up can now receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but kids under age 12 aren’t eligible yet,” said Dr. Jennifer Watts, chief emergency management medical officer, with Children’s Mercy, Kansas City, Missouri, in a news release. “Until children are fully vaccinated, it’s important that they continue to wear a mask, along with taking other infection control measures, to prevent the spread of the virus.”

According to the CDC, masks help prevent people from getting and spreading COVID-19 by providing a barrier that keeps respiratory droplets from spreading.

“We all want to get back to normal, but we can’t let our guard down too soon,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Health Department. “If your child is eligible, please consider getting them vaccinated or talk with a health care provider if you have questions. Until your child is fully vaccinated, please continue to help them take precautions like wearing a mask, distancing from others, frequently washing hands and staying home when sick.”

Free vaccinations available Saturday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 18 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 22, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, and the former Kmart at 7836 State Ave. will be closed on Saturday.

The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

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

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

Other sites available for vaccinations

Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov.

Case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported that the number of COVID-19 inpatients is steady. Seven persons with the active virus were being treated on Friday, no change from Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Three of those patients were in the intensive care unit, an increase of one from Thursday. One of those patients was on a ventilator, a decrease of one from Thursday. The number of recovering patients was not available because of a software glitch.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 14 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 21, for a cumulative 18,687 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change.
The UG Health Department reported on Wednesday that 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,642 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 139. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 55.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 33,084,800 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 589,222 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 30,141 new cases nationwide and 665 new deaths nationwide.
States with rising numbers of new cases were Florida, 2,893; California, 1,792; Pennsylvania, 1,709; Texas, 1,647; and New York, 1,644.
Countries with rising numbers of new cases were India, 259,551; Brazil, 82,039; Argentina, 35,884; U.S., 30,141; and Colombia, 16,086, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Saturday

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 22, at the National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. For more information, about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 22, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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/992447368161884.

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.

Some COVID-19 long-haulers face skin, hair and toe problems

Dermatologists are seeing some skin, hair and toe problems in COVID-19 long-haul patients, according to Dr. Anand Rajpara, medical director of dermatology at the University of Kansas Health System.

He said “COVID toes” are common among some of the patients. Five to 10 percent of the patients with “COVID toes” have symptoms that persist longer than two months, he said.

Those who have “COVID toes” have a rash caused by tiny blood clots in the toes, which cause painful purple spots. It is a problem that causes discomfort and pain, and sometimes impedes walking, but it is expected to go away after some months, according to Dr. Rajpara. Before COVID-19, it has been seen before in the winter and also in lupus patients.

It’s treated with calcium channel blockers, which help improve blood flow.

Also, a lot of COVID-19 long-haul patients have hair loss, which could be due to COVID and the severe emotional stress the patients are facing, such as loss of a loved one.

Dr. Rajpara said when there are severe emotional stress or physical illness, the system is shocked and the body can go into conservation mode to save energy, and it stops non-essential functions such as hair growth.

It could take six to 12 months for the hair to fully regrow again, and it isn’t permanent, he said.

Dr. Rajpara said the vaccine doesn’t cause hair loss or nail problems, but stress causes it. Some patients get a slight temporary rash around a vaccine injection site, he said. Rashes are generally mild and minimal, he said. A rash has been seen with the Moderna vaccine, in about 1 percent or less of patients. A preservative used in the vaccine could cause a “COVID arm” reaction in a very small number of people, but the vaccines are safe, he said.

He said there are five rashes people can get from COVID-19. The best way to prevent the symptoms is to get vaccinated, he added. COVID-19 patients can get the chicken pox rash, vesicular rash that has fluid-filled bubbles over the skin, viral exanthem, and livedo reticularis rash, along with “COVID-toes.”

The same things that happen with hair, a slowing of growth, also happen with nails, he said, with some resulting in depressions in the nails for COVID-19 patients, he said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson said overall, the vaccines will improve quality of life and extend life because people won’t have severe disease from COVID-19, and will avoid death.

Dr. Hawkinson also said a new study has shown that there was a more than 10 times reduction in the number of vaccinated nursing home patients getting COVID-19. Previously, nursing home patients had the highest rate of deaths from COVID-19. The vaccine is working and they are not seeing many 70 and 80-year-olds in the hospital from COVID-19 now, he added.

He also said the Pfizer vaccine has been approved to be kept refrigerated for a month after being thawed, which should help pharmacies, clinics and mobile distribution units.

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said the COVID-19 vaccine should not be blamed for everything. Diseases happen all the time every day, he said. The question is, would that condition have happened anyway, whether the person got a vaccine or not, he said.

Scientists have studied the data, and people who are vaccinated do not have a higher rate of disease than those who aren’t vaccinated, Dr. Stites said.

He added that he felt sick for about 24 hours after he got the vaccine, but after that, he was fine. The effects of getting COVID-19 can be a lot worse.

Dr. Hawkinson said they currently have an asymptomatic person in the 40s with COVID-19 who had been vaccinated, and he was being screened for another procedure at the hospital when COVID-19 was detected. Four of the seven active patients haven’t been vaccinated, while one had only one dose of the vaccine. Another is fully vaccinated, but had COVID-19 in December and now possibly has a reinfection.

Free vaccinations available Friday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed on Thursday.

The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the new schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

Other sites available for vaccinations

Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov.

Case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported that the number of COVID-19 inpatients has dropped. Seven persons with the active virus were being treated on Thursday, a decrease of four since Wednesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Two of those patients were in the intensive care unit, no change since Wednesday. Both of those patients were on a ventilator, no change from Wednesday. There were an additional 13 patients still hospitalized because of COVID-19, but out of the acute infection phase, an increase of six since Wednesday. There were a total of 20 COVID-19 patients, an increase of two since Wednesday.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of six COVID-19 cases on Thursday, May 20, for a cumulative 18,673 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change.
The UG Health Department reported 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,507 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 117. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 58.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,591 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, May 19, an increase of 518 cases since Monday, May 17. There were a total cumulative 5,053 deaths reported statewide, an increase of 13.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,864 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 188 since Monday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,238 cases on Wednesday, an increase of one case since Monday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 56,960 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 122 since Monday.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday night reported 33,056,295 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 588,536 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 29,293 new cases nationwide and 655 new deaths nationwide.
States with the highest number of new cases were Florida, 2,811; Texas, 2,022; Michigan, 1,950; Illinois, 1,625; and California, 1,462.
Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 276,110; Brazil, 79,219; Argentina, 39,652; U.S., 29,293; and France, 19,057, according to Johns Hopkins information

Free testing available Friday

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 21, at the National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. For more information about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, May 21, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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/1386103161772554.

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.