The Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage reported 1,211 COVID-19 cases at 11:40 a.m. Thursday, left, and 1,177 cases at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday . There was one additional death. (From UG COVID-19 webpage)
As groups of 15 or fewer are allowed to meet starting Friday under the governor’s Phase 2 reopening plan, residents may be deciding whether to have or attend a holiday barbecue, gathering or outing.
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System discussed holiday gatherings in a news conference this morning.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said he personally won’t be having the same sort of gathering he always has on Memorial Day weekend. Social gatherings can turn into super-spreader events if social distancing doesn’t take place, according to Dr. Stites.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System, said some of the biggest risk factors are the number of people present in a confined space over a long period of time. He recommended outdoor events with social distancing and better airflow. No more than 10 should gather. He said he hoped people didn’t gather with others outside their household.
Dr. Stites said he isn’t planning the same kind of big holiday gathering as in the past. He said there will be a lot more Memorial Days, and he wants to have good memories going forward.
The KU doctors, including Dr. Gary Gronseth, chair of neurology, and Dr. Colleen Lechtenberg, neurologist, also discussed strokes that are occurring more with COVID-19, as more blood clots are forming as part of the disease.
They advised patients not to wait to seek emergency health care if they have stroke symptoms, including a facial droop, an arm that sags, slurred speech, loss of balance and eyesight changes. Those who can get to the hospital early have more of a chance of recovery, according to the doctors. Hospitals are safe, the doctors said.
The doctors advised residents to continue social distancing, washing hands and avoiding large groups. Those who are sick and at high-risk should stay home.
Dr. Hawkinson reported 15 patients in KU Health System on Thursday, with seven in the intensive care unit and four on ventilators.
On Thursday, the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage reported 1,211 cases and 71 deaths on Thursday morning, compared to 1,177 cases and 70 deaths on Wednesday. There were 34 more cases and one more death. There were an additional 19 recoveries on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the state of Kansas reported 8,539 positive cases from 84 counties, with 178 deaths. Ford County, the Dodge City, Kansas, area, reported the highest number of cases, with 1,440, while Finney County, the Garden City, Kansas, area, had 1,307. Leavenworth County reported 1,057 cases on Wednesday, according to the state figures, while Johnson County had 696 cases.
The Unified Government’s COVID-19 outbreak map showed the locations of several COVID-19 outbreaks in Wyandotte County. (From UG COVID-19 hub website)
Some Amazon distribution facility workers in Kansas City, Kansas, held a walkout this afternoon over safety issues.
The Amazon facility in Kansas City, Kansas, has eight confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department COVID-19 webpage.
A worker, Sean Fuller, has concerns about safety. He said he believed there were more positive cases than that.
About four workers participated in a walkout on Wednesday.
“They really need to shut down and do a thorough cleaning from back to back and side to side,” Fuller said. “We’ve got a lot of cleaning issues.”
He said he had concerns about his own health and his colleagues’ health.
Possibly 1,000 or less people are currently working there, but at peak seasons, the number of employees could rise to 2,000 to 5,000.
Fuller said although they are trying to do social distancing, sometimes people will come up to them and say they need to be 6 feet apart, while not following their own advice.
“I’ve been told I’m a hero, an essential worker,” he said. “I don’t feel that. I feel that those that are doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and paramedics are the true heroes.”
He said he got tested for COVID-19 after he had some minor symptoms, and the test was negative.
The company, which has COVID-19 cases nationwide, stated that its top concern is the health and safety of its employees. It is providing $800 million worth of personal protective equipment and improvements, and implementing safety procedures, according to the website.
Janell Friesen, a spokesman for the UG Health Department, said there have been eight positive COVID-19 cases confirmed at the Amazon facility.
The outbreak continues to be under investigation, she said. The Health Department provides guidelines to facilities and does contact tracing of any confirmed cases, she said.
Friesen said the Health Department staff has provided guidance to the leadership at Amazon about what kind of infection control measures to take.
The UG’s outbreak locations map showed several industrial and work sites with COVID-19 outbreaks in Wyandotte County. Other locations, according to the UG outbreak information, included National Beef Packaging, Kansas City, Kansas, 42 cases; Smithfield, Edwardsville, with six cases; MWI Animal Health, Kansas City, Kansas, with seven cases; the Legacy Warehouse, Kansas City, Kansas, five cases; Donnelly College construction site, Kansas City, Kansas, eight cases; Liberty Fruit Company, Kansas City, Kansas, eight cases; Premier Custom Foods, Kansas City, Kansas, 12 cases; El Torito Supermarket, Kansas City, Kansas, 16 cases; and Kellogg’s Bakery, Kansas City, Kansas, 21 cases;
The largest COVID-19 outbreak in Wyandotte County was at the Riverbend Post-Acute Rehabilitation facility, with 132 cases and 36 deaths, according to UG outbreak information. Other nursing facilities with cases here included the Life Care Center of Kansas City with 42 cases, and Delaware Highlands Assisted Living with 18 cases.
Wyandotte County will move into Phase 2 of the governor’s reopening plan on Friday, according to an announcement today by the Unified Government. (Illustration from governor’s Ad Astra reopening plan)A rolling 14-day average of positive COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County has shown a decline recently. (Graph from UG COVID-19 website)A rolling 14-day average of deaths from COVID-19 in Wyandotte County has shown a decline recently. (Graph from UG COVID-19 website)
Wyandotte County will change to the governor’s reopening plan, according to an announcement today from the Unified Government Health Department.
Phase 2 of the governor’s Ad Astra reopening plan will go into effect in Wyandotte County at midnight on May 21 (between Thursday and Friday), and will be in effect all day Friday and thereafter, according to a spokesman.
The decision to switch from the ReStart WyCo plan to the governor’s plan was made because the Wyandotte County health data are trending better and also to minimize confusion, said Janell Friesen, spokesman for the UG Health Department.
She said COVID-19 death trends in particular have decreased in recent weeks. Hospitalization rates also have generally decreased in Wyandotte County.
Different policies of reopening throughout the metropolitan area may have confused residents. Local leaders believe they can minimize potential confusion by aligning Wyandotte County with the state’s guidelines, she said.
The governor announced on Tuesday that the state would move into a modified Phase 2 early, on Friday, May 22.
Friesen said COVID-19 is still a threat to the community, and residents are asked to continue to do social distancing, wear masks, wash and sanitize hands, to help reduce the threat.
Under Phase 2 of the governor’s plan, residents must avoid groups of more than 15 individuals indoors and out, Friesen said, especially if they are not able to keep a distance of at least 6 feet.
Bars and nightclubs cannot reopen under Phase 2, they are only allowed to do curbside or carryout.
But restaurants and dining establishments can be open if they meet certain restrictions, including keeping 6 feet between customers, individuals and groups, she said. Those in the same household may sit together.
Restaurants may use physical barriers between customers to help with that, and provide additional cleaning, with guidance to restaurants available on the state’s reopening website. According to the Phase 2 plan, businesses must avoid instances where more than 15 individuals are in one location and unable to maintain 6 feet of distance, with more information at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopen-Kansas-Framework-v6.2-5.19.20.pdf.
Personal services such as hair salons and barbershops can reopen under Phase 2, also, if everyone follows guidelines including wearing masks and keeping the number of customers to a limited amount.
Retail stores, such as those at The Legends Outlets and others throughout the county, could reopen under Phase 2 if they maintain social distancing and maintain standards for cleaning the facilities, she said. They would have to make sure employees are not coming to work when sick, she added. Those who are going out in public are asked to wear masks, which could include homemade cloth masks, she added.
State-owned casinos such as the Hollywood Casino may reopen under the governor’s plan if they comply with guidelines approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
However, it is too soon to reopen Children’s Mercy Park to fully attended Sporting KC soccer games. Venues with more than 2,000 people in attendance are not yet allowed to open. That attendance number would also apply to the Kansas Speedway.
Some other sports activities, such as local youth teams and nonprofessional sports, will be allowed to hold practices and games if they follow guidelines in the plan that are posted at the state’s COVID-19 website, she said.
Libraries and community centers may reopen under Phase 2.
K-12 education remains under the same guidelines as previously, including continuous learning, except that up to 15 persons may be present for normal operations. Licensed child care facilities may reopen.
According to Phase 2, higher education facilities that were closed before May 4 should remain closed for in-person learning or events involving groups of more than 15 people present at a time.
Swimming pools are still closed under the governor’s plan. Summer camps also do not open in Phase 2.
Telework, or working from home, is still encouraged in Phase 2, when possible.
According to the state’s COVID-19 website, on Memorial Day, people may have social gatherings of 15 or fewer people at their residence. They can go to parks as long as they maintain social distancing.
Phase 2 of the governor’s plan is generally thought to be similar to the Wyandotte County’s “yellow zone.”
In a statement released today, Wyandotte County’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Greiner, said, “The residents and businesses of Wyandotte County have made significant progress in reducing transmission of COVID-19 and flattening the curve. The local data supports further reopening of our community, and the Governor’s Phase 2 plan strikes the appropriate balance between public health and economic activity at this time. To keep things under control, we urge everyone to wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash hands frequently.”
According to a spokesman, the temporary suspension of the ReStart WyCo plan and adoption of the state Phase 2 plan will make it easier for residents and businesses to comply with guidance to keep patrons and families safer. The state’s Phase 2 plan is at covid.ks.gov.
“I’m pleased that Wyandotte County is continuing to gradually reopen parts of our community and the economy,” Mayor-CEO David Alvey of the Unified Government, said. “Our public health officials have consistently promoted the safety and health of our community since the outbreak of COVID-19. Their decision to suspend the ReStart WYCO Plan and align with the State of Kansas’ 2 Plan released yesterday was based on data showing that Wyandotte County continues to slow the spread, an effort to provide consistency and uniformity to residents and businesses confused by the current mix of state and local guidelines, and the fact that State prescribed guidelines supersede local authority.”
“However, it’s important to recognize that we have only slowed, not stopped, the spread of this virus,” Mayor Alvey continued. “We must follow through on recommendations to maintain social distancing, wash our hands, and wear masks in public, as these practices will further reduce the threat to public health and our most vulnerable populations, while allowing health officials to relax restrictions on business and personal activities at the most appropriate time.”
Residents encouraged to reduce exposure to COVID-19
Even though the Kansas Phase 2 plan allows for further loosening of restrictions on individuals and businesses, COVID-19 remains a threat in Wyandotte County, according to a spokesman. If businesses can continue to operate remotely, they are strongly encouraged to do so. The COVID-19 virus is still present in our community, and minimizing exposure by working remotely continues to be a recommended strategy for limiting its spread.
Vulnerable populations, including people over 60 years old, individuals who are immune-compromised, or who have underlying medical conditions should avoid close contact with others by practicing social distancing as much as is possible. The Public Health Department recommends wearing a mask or face-covering in public.
Under the Kansas Phase 2 plan, mass gatherings (where individuals are in one location and cannot maintain proper social distancing) of more than 15 people are prohibited. Other guidance of the Kansas Phase 2 plan include:
• Individuals are encouraged to wear masks in public settings. • When in public, people should maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and others (not including people who reside together). • Businesses can open if they can maintain at least 6 feet of distance between consumers. • Restaurants or dining establishments can meet this requirement by using physical barriers to prevent the spread of virus between individual customers or groups of seated customers. • Casinos (non-tribal) may re-open if they comply with uniform guidelines approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. • Most activities and venues may reopen as long as they can maintain at least 6 feet of distance between individuals or groups and follow proper cleaning and public health practices.
Exceptions to the activities and venues reopening:
• Outdoor and indoor entertainment venues with a capacity of 2,000 or more people • Fairs, festivals, carnivals, and parades • Summer camps • Public swimming pools • Bars and nightclubs excluding already operating curbside and carryout services
Public buildings to reopen May 26
Public buildings in Wyandotte County will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, by appointment only. To protect the health and wellness of visitors and employees, public buildings will reopen with restrictions, according to a spokesman. Visitors will be required to have their temperatures taken before being admitted. Visitors are also required to wear masks when entering a public building. Additional information will be provided later.
Residents or businesses with specific questions about doing business with a particular department should visit wycokck.org. Many services, like paying property taxes, renewing vehicle registration, or requesting a new traffic court date can be completed online. Residents, businesses, and visitors may also contact 3-1-1 for assistance.
County health officials will continue to monitor key data on the status of COVID-19 to determine next steps in the community’s re-opening process. Those metrics include:
• The number of hospitalizations and deaths in Wyandotte County and surrounding area hospitals over a 14-day period, and • the percentage of positive tests over a 14-day period.
“The Unified Government Health Department and medical officers will continue to closely track the data and could, if the data goes in the wrong direction, move back to a more restrictive position,” Dr. Greiner said. “It is also possible that the Unified Government could stay in Phase 2 for longer than the state. It depends on what the data shows us in terms of whether COVID-19 continues to spread or if it’s contained in Wyandotte County.”
“Data points such as the 14-day moving average and total positive cases are moving in the right direction. It is important that we continue to expand testing across the community, and increase our contact tracing capacity. Testing and tracing are key components to managing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing a resurgence that could overwhelm the medical system,” said Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Health Department.
