Wyandotte County reported an increase of 72 cases at 1 p.m. Thursday, with a cumulative total of 3,894, according to the UG COVID-19 website. The number of deaths did not increase, with the total at a cumulative 90. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)
Wyandotte County health officers discussed school reopening plans at a news conference held Thursday morning by the University of Kansas Health System.
When schools reopen, they might look differently, according to the doctors.
When schools reopen, if there is about the same rate of cases here, schools could have 50 percent of the usual number of students in classrooms, with other students at home, according to Dr. Erin Corriveau, deputy medical officer for Wyandotte County. That would allow a six-foot distance between students.
Each of the school districts will send its plan to the Health Department, she said. At some schools, the superintendents have discussed bringing back the elementary age children, while educating the high school students at home, she said. Others have different ideas, including cohort groups and alternate days of school.
Students will wear masks, socially distance and will be using hand sanitizer often under the reopening plans. The Unified Government Health Department has recommended all students wear masks.
“Start now with your children and help them practice mask-wearing throughout the day at home,” Dr. Corriveau said.
As the governor’s order to start school after Labor Day has failed at the state Board of Education level, the decisions on school reopening dates now will be made by local school districts in consultation with the health departments. The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools announced earlier this week it would reopen after Labor Day, with remote learning only for the first nine weeks.
Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer for Wyandotte County, said some of the students will be learning remotely at home. The KCK district has done a lot of innovative things, he said, extending technology to many students.
In order to keep COVID-19 from spreading when school is held in-person, it’s better to have children in one classroom with one teacher, according to Dr. Greiner.
The UG Health Department is currently working on more orders concerning education, according to Dr. Corriveau.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 33 COVID-19 patients on Thursday morning, with 17 in the intensive care unit and six on ventilators. The total number of patients was down two from Wednesday, the number in the ICU was up one from Wednesday and the number on ventilators was the same as Wednesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 72 cases at 1 p.m. Thursday, with a cumulative total of 3,894, according to the UG COVID-19 website. The number of deaths did not increase, with the total at a cumulative 90.
Testing continues
COVID-19 testing for the homeless will continue to take place on Friday in Wyandotte County, according to the Unified Government Health Department. Testing will take place at two locations on Friday:
• Frank Williams Outreach Center, 7th and Nebraska, Kansas City, Kansas, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. July 24; • Cross-Lines Community Outreach, food kitchen, 7th and Shawnee, Kansas City, Kansas, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 24.
Test results will be available at the testing locations on Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28.
Testing also continues at the UG Health Department parking lot, 619 Ann Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed.
Wyandotte County had 3,822 total cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. Wednesday, as compared to 3,750 cases at 1 p.m. Tuesday, an increase of 72 cases since Tuesday, according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. There was one more death since 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the total now at 90. (From UG COVID-19 website)
COVID-19 testing for the homeless will take place on Thursday and Friday in Wyandotte County, according to the Unified Government Health Department.
Testing will take place at two locations on Thursday and Friday:
• Frank Williams Outreach Center, 7th and Nebraska, Kansas City, Kansas, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. July 23 and 24;
• Cross-Lines Community Outreach, food kitchen, 7th and Shawnee, Kasnas City, Kansas, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. July 23 and 24.
Test results will be available at the testing locations on Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28.
“We know that people experiencing homelessness are at increased risk for serious illness from Covid-19. It is vital for us as a community to help keep them safe from the virus,” said Rob Santel, director of client services with Cross-Lines Community Outreach. “Increasing access to testing opportunities for this vulnerable population is essential to stop the spread.”
“It’s important to provide testing that specifically aims to serve people experiencing homelessness, and to hold the testing events at locations where people can access other services they may need. Meeting people in the community, where they are already receiving services, allows us to identify vulnerable people who might need isolation or critical care,” said Rachel Erpelding, senior director of housing and employment services with Wyandot Center for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Frank Williams Outreach Center is a service of Wyandot Center.
“It’s not just about testing, but how do people quarantine while they wait for their results, or isolate if they test positive? That’s why we’ve partnered with a hotel in the area to provide a sheltering option for people who get tested at these events,” said Nicole Garner, COVID-19 project coordinator with the Unified Government Public Health Department. “As we continue to expand COVID-19 testing, this is not only critically important for those experiencing homelessness, but we are also exploring how this can help those who may have challenges isolating themselves from others in their household, like a large family in a small space with a shared bathroom.”
These events are done in partnership with: the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Emergency Management, Kansas Department for Children and Families, Frank Williams Center, Cross-Lines Community Outreach, Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness (GKCCEH), Care Beyond the Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, the Unified Government Public Health Department, and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
Information from UG Health Department
State COVID-19 cases increase by 770
Kansas reported 24,104 positive cases from 103 counties, with 308 deaths, on Wednesday morning, an increase of 770 cases since Monday. There was one more death since Monday.
Wyandotte County had 3,822 total cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. Wednesday, as compared to 3,750 cases at 1 p.m. Tuesday, an increase of 72 cases since Tuesday, according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. There was one more death since 1 p.m. Tuesday, with the total now at 90.
Johnson County had the highest number of cases in Kansas, with 4,158 reported Wednesday morning, according to state figures.
The University of Kansas Health System reported the number of COVID-19 patients on Wednesday morning was 35, down one from 36 on Tuesday. There were 16 patients in the intensive care unit, the same number as Tuesday, and six on ventilators, the same as Tuesday. Five recovered patients were discharged and four patients were admitted. According to doctors, the length of stay for patients is decreasing on the average. Doctors said they believed the hospital has bed space, personal protective equipment and medications to handle 40 to 45 COVID-19 patients.
For more information about Cross-Lines Community Outreach visitcross-lines.org
For more information about COVID-19 in Wyandotte County, including the latest data and resources for residents and businesses, visit wycokck.org/COVID-19, or call 3-1-1.
Kansas reports 1,369 new COVID-19 cases today and over 300 total cumulative deaths
Wyandotte County reported 3,701 total cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. Monday, an increase of 46 since Sunday at 1 p.m., according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. There were 89 deaths, the same number as Sunday. (From UG COVID-19 website)The state of Kansas reported an increase of 1,369 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning from Friday morning, according to KDHE statistics. There were 307 cumulative deaths, an increase of eight since Friday. (KDHE chart)
With Kansas surpassing 300 COVID-19 deaths total, and with 1,369 new cases from Friday to Monday, Gov. Laura Kelly today announced two new executive orders to delay the spread of COVID-19.
The governor has signed a mask order today, and said she will sign the delay of school order later this week.
The Kansas City metro area this past weekend has broken a record for the largest single day increase in COVID-19 infections since the beginning of the virus, she said.
And small towns in Kansas also are suffering, she said, quoting from a resident’s plea for prayers for Logan, Kansas, where the population, including nursing home residents, are fighting COVID-19 and are at risk.
Ellis County, Kansas, jumped by 30 cases last week, mostly from Fourth of July gatherings, Gov. Kelly said, adding the county commission there voted not to enforce the governor’s mask order.
In addition, a recent study from South Korea has shown that children are not immune and that those aged 10-19 can spread COVID-19 at least as effectively as adults do, Gov. Kelly said. In Florida, a third of the children tested in one study were positive for COVID-19, she said.
The governor said last weekend, reports surfaced that there was a behind-the-scenes campaign by Kansas Republicans to get the Kansas State Board of Education to vote against her executive order delaying the start of school until Sept. 9.
She said the same leaders have downplayed or ignored the threat of COVID-19 earlier and used their platforms to promote politics instead of public health. She added they abdicated their duties in the middle of the crisis, putting the burden of decision-making on the school boards and local governments.
“Real leaders confront situations head on, they don’t sit back silently and wait for the situation to get worse,” Gov. Kelly said.
She said she was asking each state Board of Education member to put politics aside and think about students, teachers, their parents and the survival of the Main Street businesses. She also asked everyone to use their platforms to support mandatory face masks, social distancing measures and the executive orders she will sign.
Putting over a half-million students and faculty in daily large gatherings is the exact opposite of what health experts have urged them to do, she said.
Executive Order 20-59 does not need the school board’s approval, she said, and she will sign Executive Order 20-58 after the state school board votes on it later this week.
Executive Order 20-58 delays any student instruction from Aug. 10 to Sept. 8, and will include athletics and extracurricular activities, she said. Schools will be able to hold enrollment in school buildings during this time. Exceptions will be made for students enrolled concurrently in courses that receive college credit and for screenings for placement.
Executive Order 20-59, which goes into effect Aug. 10, will mandate face coverings for all students, faculty, staff and visitors to all schools, she said. There will be exceptions for consumption of food and beverages. There also will be exceptions for activities that are not safely conducted with masks, and children who are not students under age 5, persons with disabilities that prevent wearing a mask and persons who are deaf or those communicating with the deaf, and those who wearing a mask would create a risk to the person related to their work.
The executive order mandates six feet of social distancing except in a classroom where masks are worn. Also, everyone in schools must sanitize their hands once an hour, and must have their temperatures checked when they enter a building. The three weeks will allow schools time to get necessary supplies, she said. It also will allow the state to try to get numbers down again.
“As Dr. Lee Norman said last week, we can still flatten the curve and slow the spread of this disease. But that means everybody doing their part, wearing a mask, following the social distancing rules, avoiding mass gatherings and using good hygiene practices,” she said.
Wyandotte County already is under a mandatory mask order from the local Health Department.
Doctors discuss returning to school
At the University of Kansas Health System news conference on Monday morning, Dr. Jennifer Goldman, pediatric infectious diseases doctor at Children’s Mercy Hospital, said she feels like in-person education could take place safely as long as schools do everything to minimize the risks. Screening everyone for illness, masks for everyone, social distancing and hand washing are necessary, she said.
It is also important for school nurses to have personal protective equipment, she said. Rapid testing will be important, she added. There has to be a plan in place to test children rapidly if they exhibit symptoms of illness, she said, and to contain any infection found in schools, with isolation if necessary.
It’s Dr. Goldman’s belief that children usually follow school rules and will follow the example of teachers and peers.
Dr. Goldman said schools in Europe and Australia successfully reopened.
According to Dr. Goldman, some videos have been developed to show children how to don and doff masks, put on their “superhero” masks for the day and make them feel they are doing something good.
Dr. Angie Myers, division director of infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy, said convincing kids to wear masks and constantly wash their hands can work as long as kids see adults doing it.
Dr. Myers said data from Korean studies suggested that children under age 10 do not spread COVID-19 as much as other age groups. But for age 10 and up, the percentage of children spreading it was higher than the younger group. It was 5 percent for children under 10 and 18 percent for children above 10, she said.
At this point, it appears that universal mask wearing, social distancing and not having mass gatherings may be the biggest contributors to not having spread of COVID-19, she said.
She said all children at Children’s Mercy Hospital who are over age 2 must wear a mask.
She also said she doesn’t think those children who previously had Kawasaki disease were more likely to get COVID-19 than others. She said those with asthma or who were immuno-compromised also should not be at more risk to get COVID-19.
Dr. Myers said teachers can keep safe by wearing masks at all times and keeping a physical distance from their students.
Some children may have concerns about going back to school. Dr. Danielle Johnson, psychologist at the KU Health System, said parents should talk with kids to get them ready for school, and have ongoing conversations about the children’s concerns. Parents need to wear masks and wash their hands, being a model for the children, she said.
Let the children know that it may be scary, but adults are doing the best they can to keep them safe, she said. She advised parents to start getting backpacks ready, get pens, pencils and books ready along with a bottle of hand sanitizer.
According to Dr. Johnson, school is important for social support for children. There have been negative trends of some child suicides during the pandemic, she said. School provides food for children, and school also provides a connection for children with their friends.
Also, Dr. Johnson recommended not being confrontational with those against wearing masks, as it usually doesn’t work. It may work at times to say that “I am trying to keep myself safe, and it would be amazing if you could do this for me,” she said.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said they recommend masks, and masks will help protect others and will protect the wearer as well.
Eye protection such as goggles also may help protect the wearer, according to the KU doctors. Dr. Hawkinson discussed wearing face shields, but said the science wasn’t there yet on how much it protects the wearer.
Dr. Hawkinson noted that the FDA has now given emergency use approval for a saliva test for students at the University of Kansas when they return to campus.
Dr. Hawkinson said countries with more containment of the disease than the United States have been successful at resuming school, and the United States can reverse the recent upward trend by wearing masks, physically distancing and keeping hands washed.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said the battle over whether to wear a mask is not a political issue but a medical issue. He said the science proves that observing the pillars of social responsibility will reverse the recent spike in cases, and he stressed everyone must all do the things that work for themselves and for each other.
Wyandotte County cases up by 46, KU Health System numbers up slightly
The state of Kansas reported an increase of 1,369 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning from Friday morning, according to KDHE statistics. There were 307 cumulative deaths, an increase of eight since Friday.
Wyandotte County reported 3,701 total cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. Monday, an increase of 46 since Sunday at 1 p.m., according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. There were 89 deaths, the same number as Sunday.
KU Health System reported 36 COVID-19 patients on Monday morning, with 10 in the intensive care unit and six on the ventilator, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were 22 cases about a week ago at KU Health System.
Dr. Hawkinson said the numbers are continuing to creep up, unfortunately. He hopes they do not get to the 40 to 50 range. During the weekend, there were some discharges and some admissions, with the numbers varying between 30 to 35, he said.
Dr. Hawkinson said in order for the numbers to decrease and stop the spread of COVID-19, people need to be individually responsible, keep out of large gatherings, keep out of indoor spaces as much as possible, distance 6 to 10 feet from others, and everyone wear masks.
Kansas City, Missouri, schools announce they will not hold in-person classes as originally planned
The Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schools district announced today that it would not reopen this fall with in-person classes as originally planned on the advice of health officials, but will adjust its reopening plans with the help of the health department, staff, board and local officials, according to a statement on the district’s website.
Counties’ numbers
According to KDHE figures, Johnson County currently has the highest number of total cumulative COVID-19 cases in the state. Kansas counties with positive COVID-19 cases over 350, besides Wyandotte County, included:
Johnson County, 3,933. Sedgwick County, 3,162. Ford County, 2,061. Finney County, 1,591. Leavenworth County, 1,306. Shawnee County, 1,205. Seward County, 1,059. Lyon County, 552. Douglas County, 537. Riley County, 371. Crawford County, 351.
Blood drive planned
The blood supply is low, according to Chelsey Smith of the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City.
The Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City will hold an emergency blood drive from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at the KU Medical Center, Health Education Building, fifth floor, Ad Astra room, 39th and Rainbow. The blood drive will continue from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, at the same location. To make an appointment, contact [email protected].
Free testing for COVID-19 is available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 21, at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.
Another pop-up test is available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, at Zotung Christian Church, 5010 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.
Those two are pop-up tests through the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.
Free testing is also being conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays at the Health Department, 6th and Ann, in the parking lot in Kansas City, Kansas. The tests were canceled on Monday because of the storms.
