Wyandotte County reported 1,038 total positive COVID-19 cases on Saturday, an increase of about 38 cases since Friday.
There were no increases in hospitalizations or deaths, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage.
Kansas reported 6,751 positive cases on Saturday, an increase of 250 cases. There were 157 total deaths, an increase of five since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment figures.
Reopening ‘red zone’ begins Monday
Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer for the Unified Government, has loosened stay-at-home restrictions effective at 11:59 p.m. May 10 in Wyandotte County.
The loosening of restrictions means that Wyandotte County residents and businesses will now enter the red zone of the ReStart WyCo Road to Recovery plan released on May 1.
The red zone phase of the plan becomes effective at midnight after Sunday night, and it will last from May 11 until at least May 25.
Each phase, or zone, of the ReStart WyCo plan will be in place for at least 14 days because the incubation period for COVID-19 is 14 days, according to the UG Health Department. This allows the UG Health Department to monitor the population for further outbreaks of the virus, for the duration of one incubation period.
What is the red zone?
The red zone is a phase listed in the Road to Recovery guidance document prepared by the ReStart WyCo committee formed by Mayor David Alvey. The ReStart WyCo committee is made up of health professionals and business representatives from throughout Wyandotte County.
The Road to Recovery document provides guidance on a four-phased approach to reopening various public-facing businesses and organizational sectors of the community in a way that ensures a high degree of safety is maintained for everyone, according to the health department.
The ReStart WyCo Road to Recovery document includes sector-specific guidance for a range of businesses, including offices, retail, restaurants, and much more. The intent of the guidance is to provide practical steps that businesses can take to protect employees and customers while re-opening in a safe and controlled manner.
Each phase provides a different level of guidance to help save lives and reduce transmission of the COVID-19 virus. To view or download the Road to Recovery document, visit the ReStart WyCo Hub at wycokck.org/COVID-19.
“As we enter the red zone, actions like social distancing and excellent personal hygiene will continue to be effective tools to help keep everyone safe. It’s important to understand that just as we can move toward fewer restrictions in our day-to-day activities, if the data shows it’s needed, we may have to return to more restrictions for limited periods of time. Our goal is to re-open our community step-by-step, while not compromising the health of any of our residents,” Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer, said.
The red zone relaxes stay-at-home requirements but recommends the highest level of caution for vulnerable community members while providing guidance on how some businesses may open safely with certain restrictions.
Examples of loosened restrictions for some sectors:
• General population
o Outdoor activities in groups of up to 10 are allowed with social distancing
• Retail
o In-store pickup is allowed with social distancing, but delivery and curbside pickup are encouraged when possible
o Common areas should be adjusted to maintain 6 feet of distance between workers
• Offices
o Employees should be allowed to work from home where possible
o Office space should be adjusted to maintain 6 feet of distance between workers
• Construction
o All construction where workers can easily maintain 6-foot social distancing is allowed
• Mass sporting events
o May be held without fans physically attending
Detailed information and categories concerning bars, exercise venues, places of worship, manufacturing, and more is available in the ReStart WyCo Road to Recovery document. To view or download the Road to Recovery document, visit the ReStart WyCo Hub at wycokck.org/COVID-19.
Reducing exposure remains the best defense
If businesses can continue to operate remotely, they are strongly encouraged to do so. COVID-19 remains a threat and minimizing exposure by working remotely continues to be a recommended strategy for limiting the spread of the virus, the health department stated.
The ReStart WyCo guidance retains more restrictive recommendations throughout the reopening phases for vulnerable populations, including people over 60 years old, immune-compromised, or with underlying medical conditions.
How to know when it is time to change zones?
Mayor Alvey and Dr. Greiner have been clear from the beginning that COVID-19 data will dictate when it is safe for the community to advance from zone to zone, the health department stated. Moving from one zone to the next will involve carefully considering:
• 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.
If, after 14 days, there is a reduction in deaths, hospitalizations, and positive tests, the county will be able to further relax guidance by moving on to the next zone, according to the health department. The recommendation on whether or not to move to the next zone will be provided by Dr. Greiner before May 25. If there is not a reduction in deaths, hospitalizations and positive tests, or if these numbers have increased, Dr. Greiner may recommend staying at the current zone for a period of time, or possibly recommend that we return to an earlier zone.
What are the four zones of the Road to Recovery document?
Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to spread in Wyandotte County, health officials stated. To protect against the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of everyone in the community, the ReStart WyCo Committee formed by Mayor David Alvey developed sector-specific reopening guidance outlined in the Road to Recovery document.
Stay at Home orders are quite stringent and ask that only essential businesses remain open. There is still a chance we may need to Stay at Home again in the future. The Red Zone is slightly relaxed compared to Stay at Home but is far from “business as usual.” Red Zone still recommends the highest level of caution for vulnerable community members, while also offering guidance on how some businesses may open safely. During Yellow Zone restrictions, more businesses may open, but caution is still required. Green Zone is the least stringent phase and offers few staffing restrictions while still urging some cautions.
- Stay at home
a. This is the zone Wyandotte County has been in since March 24. The stay-at-home period in Wyandotte County will end at 11:59 p.m. May 10. Stay at home requires that only essential businesses remain open. - Red zone
a. This zone relaxes the stay-at-home requirements but recommends the highest level of caution for vulnerable community members while providing guidance on how some businesses may open safely, but with certain restrictions. Wyandotte County will enter the red zone at midnight after Sunday night and remain in the red zone until at least May 25. - Yellow zone
a. This zone relaxes stay at home requirements even further while allowing more businesses to open under caution. - Green zone
a. This is the least stringent zone, though it retains some restrictions on staffing levels, event attendance, in-person dining, and group gatherings
“The last several months have been difficult for Wyandotte County, with many affected by business closures, financial insecurity, or even the loss of friends or family,” Mayor David Alvey said. “While our focus on public health and prevention will continue, we are now also looking to the future, and this shift to the Red Zone on May 11th is a first step in that direction. By continuing to work together, we will restore and reopen our community at the appropriate time and in the right way, overcoming the public health crisis that has threatened so many and altered our way of life.”
Residents or businesses with questions or comments about the Road to Recovery document may contact 311 or visit the ReStart WyCo Hub at wycokck.org/COVID-19.
- Wyandotte County information from UG Health Department
The UG’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The Kansas COVID-19 website is at https://covid.ks.gov/.
The Kansas COVID-19 resource page is at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus
Information from the CDC is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/.