Category: Gov. Laura Kelly

Kansas National Guard to help in Louisiana hurricane relief

About 280 members of the Kansas National Guard will deploy to Louisiana to help in hurricane relief, according to an announcement by Gov. Laura Kelly.

The soldiers and airmen will provide support in and around areas affected by Hurricane Ida. They are deploying as part of an emergency management assistance compact, a multistate agreement allowing states to send government aid to other states in emergencies.

“In times of crisis, Kansans have always stepped up to help out our fellow Americans – and today is no different,” Gov. Kelly said. “Today, I deployed Kansas National Guard Soldiers and Airmen to Louisiana to help those struggling in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida. We stand ready to provide relief for the impacted families.”

Approximately 280 soldiers and airmen will deploy for this mission, which is expected to last 21 days, including travel. The deploying soldiers and airmen are members of the Kansas Army National Guard’s 130th Field Artillery Brigade, Manhattan; 1st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery, Hutchinson; 1161st Forward Support Company, Wichita; 169th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Olathe; 635th Regional Support Group, Wichita; 891st Engineer Battalion, Iola; and the Kansas Air National Guard’s 184th Wing, Wichita and the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Topeka. The Guardsmen will be taking engineering equipment such as skid steers, dump trucks, chain saws, and excavators. They will also be taking other equipment which includes generators, light medium tactical vehicles, high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, and palletized load system trucks.

“This humanitarian mission is part of what the National Guard is all about,”Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, the adjutant general and director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management said. “Citizen-soldiers and airmen supporting the civil authorities in time of trouble. It’s a mission we do well, are proud to do and one that we have asked our Guardsmen to do quite often the past 18 months. The efforts of these Kansas soldiers and airmen will give their Louisiana brothers and sisters in uniform much-needed relief and help the people affected by this disaster get back on their feet that much quicker.”

State employees returning to remote work

In response to the continued spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, Gov. Laura Kelly has released new guidance directing state agencies under the jurisdiction of the executive branch to resume remote work operations where possible.

“Since the start of the pandemic, my administration has followed the best public health guidance to keep our communities safe, mitigate the spread of the virus, and reduce strain on hospitals,” Gov. Kelly said. “The decision to return to remote work was not made lightly – but we know that this is a necessary step to prevent COVID-19 infections. I am confident that our state employees will continue to provide quality services to all Kansans who need them.”

The remote work model will remain in place through Oct. 4. At that time, a re-assessment of current COVID-19 infection rates will determine when state employees can return to fully on-site work.

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, state agency operations shifted to remote work for employees whose job functions could be performed remotely. In June, after a significant reduction in daily COVID-19 infections, state employees began returning to state office buildings.

As infection numbers began to rise again throughout the summer, a transition to remote work will help control the spread of the virus among state employees. Onsite staffing will be limited to only those necessary to safely conduct agency operations.

Mask requirements, social distancing and other mitigation measures will remain in place for employees whose jobs must be performed on-site. Public offices serving customers will be encouraged to re-institute mitigation measures that were previously utilized during the pandemic, such as scheduling “by appointment only” or making allowances for virtual as opposed to in-person interactions. All such measures will be carried out in a way as to have as minimal an impact or inconvenience on customers, according to a spokesman.

Governor pleads for Kansans to get vaccines and wear masks as Delta cases climb

Gov. Laura Kelly spoke today in Johnson County, urging Kansans to get vaccines and wear masks as Delta cases rise in Kansas.

The governor spoke at a news conference Friday at St. Luke’s Health System, where doctors said that intensive care units of area hospitals are full. Doctors there said they don’t know of a hospital in the area that is not in crisis right now.

“Over the past several weeks, COVID cases and related hospitalizations have risen exponentially,” Gov Kelly said. “It shouldn’t be like this, but COVID infections are more rampant today than they were before the vaccine was available.”

The governor said at six of the largest hospitals in Kansas, ICUs are at 100 percent capacity. Two-thirds of the beds in ICUs are filled with COVID patients, she added. Others are close to capacity.

Patients are younger and sicker than before, she said. The state is not at the point of no return, however.

“Armed with the COVID vaccine, we can stop the Delta variant before it overwhelms our state,” Gov. Kelly said.

The governor said she was not ready to issue a state of emergency again, as the Legislature has put some roadblocks in place to sustaining the emergency declarations.

While she understands the trepidation unvaccinated persons may face, much of it is caused by blatantly false information, she said. The vaccines are safe and masks work, she added.

To those who may be using the COVID or mask issue to divide people, Gov. Kelly said their actions are not hurting her. Their actions are hurting people who need to go to the hospital, where there may not be space for them, hurting businesses which may be losing revenues as people stay home, hurting teachers who risk their safety when students do not mask, and hurting health care workers who are exhausted and disheartened but remain on the front lines, she said.

The governor also urged every school district in Kansas to implement mask mandates in schools. People should get vaccinated for their health, for the health of their children and for the community, she said.

This moment is urgent in Kansas, and residents don’t have to relive what they faced before if the use the tools readily available to them, she added.

To see a video of the news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/saintlukeskc/videos/540340323840759.

School districts here seeing increased COVID cases

In Wyandotte County, school districts are seeing some increases in COVID-19 cases.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools, which has a mask mandate, have a total of 220 quarantined students and staff, according to spokesman Edwin Birch. The figure includes vaccinated and unvaccinated persons.

There were 59 positive students and 23 positive staff, with a total of 82 positive cases since the district started school on Tuesday, Aug. 10, he stated.

“We will continue to monitor evidence of transmission within each building and will consult with the UGPHD if we have concerns about ongoing transmission,” Birch stated Friday morning. “At this time per Kansas law, all of our students are attending in-person unless they have selected Greenbush as a virtual option.”

Students in Kansas were mandated by the Legislature to attend school in person this fall, and the state gave them the option of staying home and selecting Greenbush virtual school. They do not have school district teachers under the Greenbush program.

Jenny Hurley, spokeswoman for the Piper School District, stated on Friday that Piper began classes for the fall semester on Thursday, and did not yet have any positive student cases within the school.

However, there are 11 students who are quarantined because of outside exposure or a positive case before the start of the school year, she stated. The Piper district also has two positive staff members currently, she added.

The Turner School District switched from optional mask wearing to a mask mandate on Thursday, after reporting 23 active student positive cases and four active staff positive cases on Wednesday morning, according to spokeswoman Lauren Aiello.

The main reason for implementing the mask mandate in Turner was the number of students who have to be quarantined because they were unmasked, unvaccinated and close contacts of positive cases, according to the spokeswoman. The school district implemented the mask mandate to keep more students in school.

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/.

Faith in Action will hold a COVID-19 vaccination clinic from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21, at 1419 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Residents of Wyandotte County who get vaccinated at the event can receive a $50 debit card. The hosts of this event are the Rev. Antoine Shyne of St. Peter CME Church and the Rev. Donald Black II of Eighth Street Baptist church.

There will be free ice cream. This event is supported by the Rev. Jason Thompson and First AME Church, the Rev. Desmond Lamb and Forest Grove Baptist Church, the Rev. Sherman Hoston and Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, the Rev. Jay D. Rogers and Greater Jerusalem Baptist Church, the Rev. Tony Carter and Salem Baptist Church, the Rev. Glenn Brady and New Bethel Church, and the Unified Government Health Department.


Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, plans free testing and COVID vaccinations from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22.

Back-to-school childhood immunizations will be available from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25, at the Kmart vaccination site, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. These free immunizations are for children without health insurance or for children who are insured through KanCare (Medicaid). Parents should bring children’s vaccination records.

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 Friday morning, KU Health System reported 56 active COVID patients, a decrease of one from Thursday. Only one of the 56 patients was vaccinated. Twenty patients were in the ICU, a decrease of one from Thursday. Thirteen were on ventilators, a decrease of one from Thursday. Thirty-six other patients were still hospitalized because of COVID, but were out of the acute infection phase, an increase of three from Thursday. There were a total of 92 patients, an increase of two from Thursday. Children’s Mercy Hospital reported 18 positive COVID patients, an increase of four from Thursday.

Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 21,722 cases on Friday, an increase of 74 since Thursday, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 320 deaths reported, no change from Thursday.

On Wednesday, Aug. 18, the Unified Government Health Department reported that 44.87 percent of Wyandotte County residents had received at least one dose of vaccine. Those completing their vaccinations totaled about 37.7 percent.
The percentage of Wyandotte County residents who were age 12 and older who had received at least one dose was 55.2 percent.

The Mid-America Regional Council on Thursday reported 190,342 cases in Greater Kansas City, a nine-county area. There were a total of 2,580 deaths. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 161.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 356,065 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, Aug. 20, an increase of 2,675 since Wednesday, Aug. 18. There was a total of 5,494 cumulative deaths reported statewide, an increase of 38 since Aug. 18.

The KDHE reported 67,490 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Johnson County on Aug. 20, an increase of 454 since Aug. 18. Leavenworth County had 8,729 cases, an increase of 77 since Aug. 18. Sedgwick County (the Wichita area) reported 63,870 cases, an increase of 421 since Aug. 18.
Douglas County (the Lawrence area) had 10,082 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Aug. 20, an increase of 60 since Aug. 18, according to KDHE. Shawnee County (the Topeka area) had 20,595 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 265 since Aug. 18. Riley County (the Manhattan area) had 6,985 cases, an increase of 25 cases since Aug. 18.

On Thursday, there were a cumulative 37,294,141 COVID-19 cases in the United States, with cumulative 625,166 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
There were 704,840 vaccine doses reported administered Wednesday in the U.S., with 52 percent of the population fully vaccinated.
Vaccination progress: California 85,697; Texas, 80,853; Florida, 67,602; New York, 47,695; and New Jersey, 25,188.
Vaccination progress: China, 12.85 million; India, 5.83 million; Iran, 3.68 million; Indonesia, 1.8 million; and U.S., 704,800.
Countries with rising numbers of COVID-19 cases included U.S., 137,820; Brazil, 41,714; Iran, 39,174; India, 36,401; and United Kingdom, 33,758.

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 also are being held at the Kansas National Guard Armory, including tests from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 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, 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 new 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.