The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has amended its travel quarantine list to include Maine, 12 counties in Colorado and the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania and the Netherlands.
Several states and countries have been removed from the list, including eight Colorado counties.These changes went into effect on May 20, according to a KDHE news release.
A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine includes visitors and Kansans who have:
• Traveled on or after May 20 to Maine or the Colorado counties of Alamosa, Baca, Costilla, Dolores, Mesa, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Rio Grande, Saguache, Sedgwick or Yuma.
• Traveled on or after May 20 to the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania or the Netherlands.
• Traveled on or after May 6 to the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Conejos, Crowley, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer or Pueblo.
• Traveled on or after May 6 to the countries of Cabo Verde, India, Maldives or Seychelles.
• Traveled on or after April 22 to Minnesota or the countries of Argentina, Bahrain or Sweden.
• Traveled on or after April 8 to the country of Uruguay.
• Traveled between May 6 to May 20 to the Colorado counties of Bent, city and county of Denver, Chaffee, Lake, Park, Phillips, Rio Blanco or San Juan.
• Traveled between April 22 and May 20 to Croatia, Cyprus or Turkey.
• Traveled between April 8 and May 20 to Pennsylvania.
• Traveled between March 26 and May 20 to Delaware, Michigan or Rhode Island.
• Traveled between March 12 and May 20 to the state of Palestine.
• Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
• Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.
The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1640/Shortened-Quarantine-Guidance-PDF—3-10-21?bidId=.
For those traveling internationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring testing within three days of flights into the U.S. For further information on this and other requirements, visit their website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery,
For those who are fully vaccinated (meaning it has been greater than two weeks since they completed their vaccinations) they are not required to quarantine regarding travel if they meet all of the following criteria:
• Are fully vaccinated (2 or more weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2- dose series, or 2 or more weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine).
• Have remained asymptomatic since the travel.
Persons who do not meet both of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.
Additionally, people with previous COVID-19 disease are not required to quarantine following travel if they meet all of the following criteria:
• Have evidence of a previous infection supported by a positive PCR or antigen test.
• Are within 6 months following infection. If an investigation was done documenting the date that symptoms resolved, or the date isolation measures were discontinued for asymptomatic patients, then the 6-month period can start from that end date. If those dates are not available, then the period will start from the date of the positive laboratory test. A serology or antibody test may not be substituted for a laboratory report of a viral diagnostic test.
• Have remained asymptomatic since the travel.
Persons who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.
The travel quarantine list is determined using a formula to evaluate new cases over a two-week period, then adjusted for population size to provide a case rate per 100,000 population, according to the spokesman. This provides a number that can then be compared to the rate in Kansas. Locations with significantly higher rates — approximately 3x higher — are added to the list.
For more information on COVID-19, visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.
Free vaccinations available Monday
Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 24, at the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, and the former Best Buy store at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.
The Kansas National Guard Armory location will be closed on Monday.
The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.
The Health Department is doing more mobile vaccinations, and people may request vaccines to be given at different sites in the community by going to WycoVaccines.org and clicking on “mobile vaccine request.” People also may request a ride to vaccination sites on the same page.
UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment may use the Health Department’s self-scheduling tool at WycoVaccines.org and click on a blue button that says, “Click here to schedule an appointment online.” The page is available in Spanish by clicking at the top of the page. Walk-in appointments also are welcome.
Those who don’t have an internet connection may call 3-1-1 or 913-573-5311 for assistance in scheduling their vaccination appointment time and date.
To see more information about Health Department vaccinations and next week’s schedule, visit WycoVaccines.org.
Other sites available for vaccinations
Vaccinations at KU Health System are open to the public. Current patients may use MyChart to make an appointment. Others may call 913-588-1227 or visit kansashealthsystem.com/vaccine to make an appointment to get vaccinated. KU Health System currently is vaccinating residents of Kansas and Missouri who are 12 or older, by appointment only. Those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the appointment.
There are also pharmacies giving free COVID-19 vaccinations in Wyandotte County by appointment, when available. These include Price Chopper and Hen House pharmacies, which are now also accepting walk-in vaccinations or appointments, and are starting vaccinations for age 12 and up at those pharmacies that are giving Pfizer vaccine (see https://www.ballsfoodspharmacy.com/).
CVS has announced walk-in appointments for COVID-19 vaccine at some of its stores. Those interested in getting a vaccination at a CVS pharmacy are asked to visit a CVS website in order to make sure there is vaccine available. The website is at www.cvs.com/. Walgreens and Walmart also were listed on www.vaccines.gov as giving vaccinations.
Other pharmacies and sites giving vaccines are listed at www.vaccines.gov.
Case numbers reported
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 14 COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 21, for a cumulative 18,687 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change. The numbers were not updated Saturday.
The UG Health Department reported on Wednesday that 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,642 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 139. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 53.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,997 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, May 21, an increase of 406 cases since Wednesday, May 19. There were a total cumulative 5,057 deaths reported statewide, an increase of four.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,961 cases on Friday, an increase of 97 since Wednesday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,243 cases on Wednesday, an increase of five since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,079 cases on Friday, an increase of 119 since Wednesday.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday night reported 33,104,800 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 589,703 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 28,341 new cases nationwide and 684 new deaths nationwide.
States with rising numbers of new cases were Florida, 2,371; Pennsylvania, 2,065; Washington, 1,646; Illinois, 1,579; and New York, 1,574.
Countries with rising numbers of new cases were India, 257,299; Brazil, 76,855; Argentina, 35,468; U.S., 28,341; and Colombia, 14,838, according to Johns Hopkins information.
Free testing available Monday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, May 24, at the Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. Testing is in conjunction with the Wyandotte Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not needed.
Free COVID-19 testing also will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 24, at the former Kmart store at 7836 State Ave. and at the former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.
The National Guard Armory testing site will be closed on Monday. For more information, about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.
One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, May 24, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.
The Health Department’s general contact page is at https://www.wycokck.org/Health/Contact.aspx. The department’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Testing sites are at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. There are more test sites listed on this page.
Saliva testing is now offered at the UG Health Department. For more information, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/02042021-ugphd-saliva-testing-available.pdf.
The University of Kansas Health System COVID-19 update page is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/330310795391910.
A vaccine report for the state of Kansas is at
https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123/Vaccine-Historical-Document-22521?bidId=.
Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The Wyandotte County page on the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 website is at https://bao.arcgis.com/covid-19/jhu/county/20209.html.
The Johns Hopkins Data in Motion, a presentation on critical COVID-19 data in the past 24 hours, is at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/covid-19-daily-video.