Doctors support mask-wearing as statewide mask order to go into effect on Friday

Wyandotte County reported 2,336 positive cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. July 2, according to the UG COVID-19 webpage, with 83 cumulative deaths. There were 2,312 cases at 1 p.m. July 1, for an increase of 24 cases. There were no new deaths reported from Wednesday. (From UG COVID-19 website)

Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System today supported mask-wearing as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A statewide order mandating masks from Gov. Laura Kelly goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3. Gov. Kelly signed the order on Thursday morning. Wyandotte County’s mandatory mask order went into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The Johnson County Commission was meeting today to discuss the issue, and reportedly have passed a directive to follow the governor’s order, with the possibility of discussing it further next week.

Wearing a mask is one of the best ways to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at The University of Kansas Health System, who talked about masks at the Thursday morning video news conference.

Kansas reported 14,990 positive cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, and 272 deaths, according to Gov. Kelly. The case numbers have increased recently in Kansas.

“The last few months have presented many new challenges for Kansans, and all of us want to return to our normal lives and routines,” Gov. Kelly said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths across our state and our country. We must act.”

Under the order, Kansans are required to wear masks when inside any public space – including their workplace – or in situations where social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, according to the governor’s statement. Guidance regarding specific places or situations in which masks are required is outlined within the order.

Kansans under 5 years of age, those with medical conditions, deaf and mentally challenged persons, those who have a disability that prevents wearing a mask, and others specifically outlined in the governor’s order are exempt from these requirements.

Also, if local, state or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines say that wearing a mask would be a risk to a person at work, they will be exempt, the governor’s order stated.

While persons are eating or drinking in a restaurant or establishment, they do not have to wear a mask, but must maintain a 6-foot distance from people who do not live in their household, the governor’s order stated.

Athletes in organized sports that allow a 6-foot distance from others do not have to wear masks in that situation, under the governor’s order.

Also under the governor’s order, meetings of the Kansas Legislature are exempt from the mask rule.

The governor’s order stated that local governments have the authority to issue and enforce equally or more restrictive orders or provisions.

AG says can’t arrest individuals for violations of mask order; says his office will not bring any actions for not wearing a mask

Attorney General Derek Schmidt today sent out a memo to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors about how to enforce the governor’s executive order.

Schmidt noted that the Legislature changed violations from a Class A misdemeanor to a civil violation, which could be enforced by a lawsuit filed by the county or district attorney.

Law enforcement officers may no longer arrest or detain individuals for violations of an emergency order, Schmidt stated.

Schmidt also stated that counties could adopt provisions “less stringent” than the governor’s order.

“If an individual county has done so, then the governor’s emergency order may not be enforced in that county, even by a civil lawsuit,” Schmidt stated in a news release.

While the law allows the attorney general to bring enforcement actions, Schmidt stated his office will defer to the local county and district attorneys and has no plans to bring its own enforcement actions for not wearing a mask.

“I think the better approach is to leave any enforcement to local authorities who know their communities best and to give Kansans information and encouragement and trust them to make wise decisions,” Schmidt said in the news release. “So here’s what I encourage: Be safe on this Independence Day weekend, use common sense and caution to keep yourself and others healthy, heed the advice of the CDC and other public health experts, and wear a mask for now whenever you’re in a public setting and cannot maintain a safe distance from other people.”

The Wyandotte County frequently-asked-questions page on the local mask order stated that it did not know yet whether the local order will supersede the governor’s order, but nevertheless, both orders mandate wearing masks in public places here.

Doctors: Wear masks to lessen spread of COVID-19

At the KU doctors’ news conference, Dr. Hawkinson supported the governor’s order to wear masks. He said there were good medical reports recommending universal masking.

In Colorado, there is a good mask culture, where people are wearing masks and using hand sanitizer, he said. The KU Health System recommends wearing masks, he added, and it will lessen the spread of the virus.

The cloth masks will be able to block some of the droplets that might otherwise enter the air. It makes a barrier to prevent virus spread, especially in asymptomatic and presymptomatic patients, he said. They are effective when people are coughing, talking loudly or sneezing. They offer a protection to the wearer of the mask as well as a barrier for someone who is ill, he said.

Masks will play a role in stopping the spread of COVID-19, health experts believe, to keep people healthy and not have to close down businesses.

Wearing masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene together will reduce the spread of COVID-19, he said.

Dr. Hawkinson said the mandatory mask orders address the majority of the population. There are those who are very young, deaf, hard of hearing and with severe medical conditions who can’t wear the mask, he added.

The exceptions for the deaf have been made so they can continue lip-reading when communicating with each other.

Exemptions are in place for young children because it is difficult for them to have a mask on.

Also, those with COPD and breathing problems also are exempt and may have trouble with wearing masks.

Dr. Jessica Kalender-Rich said there are benefits to the entire community from everyone wearing masks, and risks and benefits for each person. There is a small subset of persons, including young children and those with breathing problems, for whom the risks outweigh the benefits, and it is a very small portion, she said.

Dr. Kalender-Rich said mandatory mask-wearing is something that has been needed and continues to be needed.

She said nursing facilities have had mandatory mask-wearing now for three months. Mandatory masking can protect the residents in the facilities as well as people who come into contact with them.

Dr. Kalender-Rich, a member of the Wyandotte County task force on COVID-19 and nursing facilities, also has been appointed to the national Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes.

On Thursday morning, there were 17 patients at the University of Kansas Health System, with six in the intensive care unit and two on ventilators. On Wednesday, there were 16 COVID-19 inpatients, with the same number in the ICU and one fewer on ventilators.

Wyandotte County reported 2,336 positive cumulative COVID-19 cases at 1 p.m. July 2, according to the UG COVID-19 webpage, with 83 cumulative deaths. There were 2,312 cases at 1 p.m. July 1, for an increase of 24 cases. There were no new deaths reported from Wednesday.

The governor’s new executive order on masks is at https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf.

The governor’s news release on the new mask order is at https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-laura-kelly-signs-executive-order-mandating-masks-in-public-spaces/.

Wyandotte County has a frequently-asked-questions page on the local order requiring masks at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07012020_MaskOrderFAQ.pdf.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s enforcement memo is at https://ag.ks.gov/docs/default-source/documents/addendum-3-to-march-24-law-enforcement-duties-and-authorities-memo.pdf?sfvrsn=d088af1a_3

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/1353614588182368

To see some studies on masks, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html#recent-studies

The Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020LocalHealthOfficerOrderRegardingMasks.pdf.


A news release on the Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020PressReleaseLHORequiresPublicToWearMasks.pdf.

Wyandotte County now has posted an application for nonprofits, government agencies, school districts and businesses in Wyandotte County that want to apply for CARES Act funding. The web address is https://us.openforms.com/Form/6273fe80-8bba-4c18-b4e7-e551096d8a83.

For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, including other sites, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. Residents also may call 3-1-1 for more information about testing.


The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.


Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.


Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.


The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.


The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Kansas health secretary said decisions have contributed to higher case rates

COVID-19 cases in Kansas have recently increased. This graph shows new cases by day in blue and total cumulative cases in yellow. (KDHE graph)

Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman said on Wednesday afternoon that decisions that have been made – particularly by the state Legislature – have contributed to the upswing of positive COVID-19 cases in Kansas.

Dr. Norman, at a news conference, showed a chart of case numbers rising in Kansas and said that the increases are not random, but are predictable.

In the past 10 days, there have been 2,500 additional cases in Kansas, he said. As the state approaches the Fourth of July holiday, he is concerned about cases increasing more.

Kansas reduced the disease spread on March 16, when schools closed, and on March 30, when a stay-at-home order was put in place, he said.

Twenty-two days later, two incubation periods, the state reached its peak at the end of April, he said.


On May 4, the state entered the first phase of the reopening plan.

Then a phase 1.5 was begun, with a continued good decrease, he said.

“This is where things started going sideways,” Dr. Norman said.

On May 27, a bill was passed in the state Legislature resulting in the state opening plan becoming guidance and not a mandated plan, he said.

Ideally, Dr. Norman said he would have liked to see the numbers gradually taper off until July 1, to have time to build up supplies of personal protective equipment for the expected autumn and winter onslaught of cases.

Instead, by the state plan becoming guidance, many counties opened up and returned to business as usual, he said. Particularly, mass gatherings opened up, he said.

Kansas is still in Phase 3, which allows no more than 45 people, but it is merely guidance at this point, Dr. Norman said.

On Memorial Day, around May 31, they saw mass gatherings throughout the state, he said.

As counties were free to make their own decisions, some were adhered to the Ad Astra plan while others had their own plans, some of which were more stringent, and others did not adopt any plan.

Wyandotte County has its own health orders in place that have mandated Phase 3 of the Ad Astra plan here.

On June 4, a special session of the Legislature passed a bill, HB 2016, that included impedimenets to doing contact tracing, he said.

The legislators were concerned about privacy, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment had no plans for electronic tracing, he said. Dr. Norman said the bill changed the way they can contact people. The bill includes provisions about third parties that would interfere with contact tracing, according to Dr. Norman.

Dr. Norman predicted that the trend line of cases will steepen, and that it would be more difficult to do contact tracing.

The KDHE’s mobile testing van went out for the first time and visited Wyandotte County on Saturday, and tested about 250 people at the Mercy and Truth Clinic.

Of those, about 13 percent tested positive for the virus, Dr. Norman said.

He said the state has about 4,033 cases that are related to active clusters, or outbreaks, in the state. It shows the virus is not gone, nor does it plan to take a break over the holiday weekend,he said.

Monday, the KDHE visited the state hospital, where it tested 250 people, with results yet to be determined, he said.

He said the essential approaches of winning the battle with COVID-19 are antiviral medications and vaccine, and they don’t have either one yet.

Lacking those, they are trying to stop the spread of the disease through adequate testing capacity, rapid case investigation, aggressive contact tracing, and isolation and quarantinehe said.

Since there isn’t yet a cure, the solution is prevention, mask wearing, good hygiene and social distancing, he said.

Three-fourths of the time, when there are clusters of cases, someone comes to work or goes to a party or a funeral, when they are ill, he said. “So stay home when you’re ill,” he added.

He asked everyone to remain vigilant over the Fourth of July holiday.

Outbreaks


There were 221 clusters or outbreaks in Kansas, with 108 still active, according to the KDHE. They accounted for 6,484 cases and 205 deaths.

Dr. Norman said a new cluster area today is sports, which has reported four clusters in Kansas, with 29 total cases.

Statewide outbreaks, or clusters of cases, were reported by the KDHE in these areas on Wednesday:

• Corrections: 4 clusters (3 closed), 1,026 cases, 7 deaths
• Daycare or school: 4 clusters (1 closed), 16 cases
• Gatherings: 29 clusters (15 closed), 312 cases, 14 deaths
• Group living: 10 clusters (5 closed), 89 cases, 3 deaths
• Healthcare: 10 clusters (5 closed), 73 cases
• Long-term care: 53 clusters (27 closed), 963 cases, 159 deaths
• Meatpacking: 12 clusters (3 closed), 3,182 cases, 16 deaths
• Private industry: 95 clusters (54 closed), 794 cases, 6 deaths
• Sports: 4 clusters, 29 cases

Dr. Norman’s news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/KDHEnews/videos/574144539956381

The Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020LocalHealthOfficerOrderRegardingMasks.pdf.

A news release on the Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020PressReleaseLHORequiresPublicToWearMasks.pdf.

The governor’s news release on mask-wearing is at https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-laura-kelly-announces-masks-must-be-worn-statewide/.


Wyandotte County now has posted an application for nonprofits, government agencies, school districts and businesses in Wyandotte County that want to apply for CARES Act funding. The web address is https://us.openforms.com/Form/6273fe80-8bba-4c18-b4e7-e551096d8a83.


For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.


For more information about COVID-19 testing, including other sites, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. Residents also may call 3-1-1 for more information about testing.

The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.

Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.

Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.

The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.

The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Health officials hope Kansas residents comply with mask order

Wyandotte County reported 2,312 cumulative total cases at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and cumulative 83 deaths. It was an increase of 80 cases since Tuesday and one more death. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)

Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, said he hopes Kansas residents don’t look for ways to skirt a new mask order from Gov. Laura Kelly, but will comply with it.

The order is scheduled to go into effect on Friday, July 3.

Dr. Norman and doctors at the University of Kansas Health System news conference Wednesday morning discussed the new order.

Kansas has had hundreds of new COVID-19 cases this week, and currently has about 2,000 new cases every week.

The state reported a cumulative total of 14,990 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday morning, an increase of 547 cases since Monday. There were two additional deaths, for a cumulative total of 272.

Wyandotte County reported 2,312 cumulative total cases at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and cumulative 83 deaths. It was an increase of 80 cases since Tuesday and one more death.

The University of Kansas Health System reported 16 COVID-19 patients in the hospital on Wednesday morning, with three on ventilators. There was one less COVID-19 patient in the hospital since Tuesday, and one more patient on a ventilator. There had been some admissions and some discharges.

Discussing the new state mask order, Dr. Norman said enforcement of the state’s order is planned locally, with local municipalities and counties.

“Ideally people will comply with this willingly,” Dr. Norman said. “I think it’ll be a real struggle, honestly.”

With the legislature limiting the governor’s authority recently, the order will have to be approved by the State Finance Council, a group of legislative leaders meeting on Thursday.

He said they will have to wait until Thursday to see what the details of the governor’s executive order on masks will look like.

In the meantime, some parts of Kansas, including Wyandotte County, are already under a local mask order. The order here went into effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Residents are required to wear masks in public places. They also are required to continue social distancing and other measures such as washing their hands.

Johnson County currently doesn’t have a local mask ordinance, but the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to vote on whether to have a mask ordinance on Thursday, according to Dr. Joseph Lemaster, Johnson County health officer.

He said he supports mask-wearing and the Johnson County Health Department has been urging its residents to wear masks all along. Wearing masks of any sort, including homemade, will dramatically reduce the risk of COVID-19 in the population, he said.

There currently are petitions online urging Johnson County to adopt a mask ordinance.

Tracey Osborn Oltjen, president of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, said at the news conference that about 70 percent of the businesses there already require masks to be worn.

Dr. Norman said it is frustrating to public health leaders when residents don’t take the advice seriously to wear masks. Part of the problem has been inconsistent messaging, he said. Early, health officials were trying to preserve masks for first-responders and front-line workers and so did not advocate for masks.

Some people now are attacking the idea of wearing masks, when in reality what they are saying is the magnitude of the response is in excess to the risk to them, he said. There is a feeling on the part of some Kansas residents, perhaps those without many cases in their counties, that it is not a risk to them.

Dr. Norman said he has pointed out to people that those who work in nursing homes and meatpacking plants where there are outbreaks, then go home, and the disease could spread.

While the COVID-19 numbers of new cases in Kansas now are more among the 20 to 40-year-old groups, and there is less hospitalization, it is community spread, and it won’t remain in that age group long, he said.

“We cannot let our guard down,” he said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection control at the University of Kansas Health System, said masks act as a barrier, in case people are infected and do not know it. They reduce the spread of the disease to vulnerable and other populations, he said.

At the news conference, a video from Florida Atlantic University was shown that illustrated how droplets spread from a cough.

The droplets can spread six feet or more without any mask. The distance was much reduced with a mask.

A bandana is better than no mask at all. A stitched, pleated cotton mask worked better than a bandana for blocking droplets, Dr. Hawkinson said.

Masks do not reduce your oxygen, and surgeons have been using them for hours at a time, for years, and they are safe, he said. The virus has already been found in mountainous areas as well as in rural areas, he said.

“You are doing this for other people, so you don’t spread it to other people,” Dr. Hawkinson said.

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/558459555038938.

The Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020LocalHealthOfficerOrderRegardingMasks.pdf.


A news release on the Wyandotte County mask order is at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/06272020PressReleaseLHORequiresPublicToWearMasks.pdf.


The governor’s news release on mask-wearing is at https://governor.kansas.gov/governor-laura-kelly-announces-masks-must-be-worn-statewide/.

Wyandotte County now has posted an application for nonprofits, government agencies, school districts and businesses in Wyandotte County that want to apply for CARES Act funding. The web address is https://us.openforms.com/Form/6273fe80-8bba-4c18-b4e7-e551096d8a83.

For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.

For more information about COVID-19 testing, including other sites, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. Residents also may call 3-1-1 for more information about testing.

The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.


Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.


Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.


The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.


The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.