Kansas could go backwards to Phase 2 of reopening plan if the number of COVID-19 cases don’t start looking better, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.
In a news conference on Monday afternoon, Gov. Kelly said COVID-19 case numbers had risen in recent weeks, and she urged people to wear masks. She also said some counties now have reversed earlier votes against requiring masks.
“If we continue this trajectory, I will have no other choice but to recommend that we move back to Phase 2 of the Ad Astra plan to reopen Kansas by next week,” Gov. Kelly said.
Wyandotte County and the state currently are in Phase 3. The plan is mandatory in Wyandotte County but not in all other counties in the state.
In Phase 2, mass gatherings are limited to 15 people, and bars and nightclubs would need to close, Gov. Kelly said.
“I do not want to go backwards,” she said. “We can and we must do better.”
Kansas reported 26,172 COVID-19 cases on Monday morning, including 335 total cumulative deaths, she said. There were 1,063 new cases and nine new deaths since Friday, she added.
“Our numbers are at an all-time high,” Gov. Kelly said. Last week, the Kansas City metro area recorded more than 400 new COVID-19 cases each day, four days in a row, she said.
The average age of patients is decreasing in Wichita hospitals, Gov. Kelly said. The median age dropped from 64 in April to 52 currently in Wichita hospitals.
The average age of all COVID-19 patients in Kansas is now 37, according to KDHE statistics, she said. It’s getting younger all the time.
As of Monday, 103 of 105 counties had at least one positive case, she said. The number of cases is rising in the counties surrounding Wichita now, she added.
Gov. Kelly said elected leaders in Kansas cannot sit back and do nothing. It is not a partisan issue, she said.
Recently, in Ohio and Indiana, Republican governors decided to mandate masks statewide, because it works and minimizes transmission of the virus, she said.
Gov. Kelly said they would monitor the situation this week, and then make a decision on whether to move back to Phase 2 next week.
Wyandotte County reported 4,095 total cumulative COVID-19 cases on Monday, with 92 deaths. It was an increase of 30 cases since Sunday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There was one additional death since Sunday.
Johnson County reported 4,643 total cumulative cases on Monday morning, as compared to 4,381 cases on Friday morning, an increase of 262 cases, according to KDHE figures.
Leavenworth County had 1,392 cases Monday, according to KDHE figures, compared to 1,372 on Friday, an increase of 20 cases.
Miami County reported 108 cases on Monday, up from 96 on Friday, the KDHE stated.
Sedgwick County (Wichita area) had 3,816 cases on Monday, compared to 3,579 cases on Friday, an increase of 237.
Shawnee County (Topeka area) reported 1,324 cases on Monday, compared to 1,268 on Friday.
Douglas County (Lawrence area) is now at 616 cases, while Riley County (Manhattan area) is at 409 cases, according to the KDHE statistics.
On Friday afternoon, the Kansas Department of Corrections announced that one resident at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility and five residents at the El Dorado Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Six men were moved to Lansing Correctional Facility, to a newer facility equipped to control COVID-19, according to a spokesman. Four additional men in El Dorado facility, who were roommates of those who tested positive, also were moved to Lansing Correctional Facility, according to a news release.
The governor’s news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/1631147850397113.
Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.
COVID-19 data for the metro area is on the KC Region COVID-19 Resource Hub at http://marc-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/1c93961075454558b3bf0dfad014feae
For information on the amended Wyandotte County mask order, visit https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020MaskOrderAmendments.pdf and https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Health-Department/Documents/Communicable%20Disease/COVID19/07142020LocalHealthOfficerOrderMaskAmendments.pdf.
The value of social distancing and wearing a mask was demonstrated by the KU doctors, who went into a walk-in freezer to show how far the virus and breath can spread. Masks stopped the breath and particles from spreading. To see the video, visit https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2378490412455079.
For information on how to make an easy no-sew mask, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/how-to-make-a-no-sew-cloth-mask/.
The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.
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.
I say it is about time. No one is following the guidelines. Casinos all bunched up and most restaurants too many next to each other.
Everywhere I go, everyone wearing masks. But cases still go up. I think they’re wrong about the masks being effective.
Went to Wal-Mart by Legends on Monday. Counted 13 people not wearing masks inside the store. Not everyone is wearing them. Not saying the mask is the “cure-all”, but they do help. I thought the company had a better handle on them though.