Kansas will receive 870,000 rapid COVID-19 tests, according to Gov. Laura Kelly.
The governor said the state has already received the first shipment of 57,000 rapid tests from the federal government and expected to receive the remaining tests during the next three months. She announced the tests at a news conference Friday afternoon.
The governor commended the White House for working with the state to make sure they have enough tests on hand. About 100 million tests are being distributed across the nation, she added. They are rapid nasal tests, not the PCR nasal tests.
The rapid Abbott tests will be deployed to hotspots in the state, with the first three priorities nursing homes, correctional facilities and schools, Gov. Kelly said. Areas with outbreaks, including urban and rural, may have priority.
She announced a unified testing strategy for Kansas last week.
Kansas reported an additional 1,597 COVID-19 cases on Monday, for a cumulative total of 62,708. There was an increase of eight deaths, for a cumulative 706 deaths in the state.
Gov. Kelly said as the election approaches, many people have become entrenched on political sides, and it is increasingly difficult to talk to or listen to one another.
“This virus will be spreading in our communities regardless of the election results, until we all take the threat seriously and act accordingly,” she said.
“If we all commit to wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding gatherings, we can bend the curve,” Gov. Kelly said.
Outbreaks in Wyandotte County
The KDHE’s outbreak list contained one Wyandotte County outbreak, at the Piper Assisted Living and Memory Care Center in Kansas City, Kansas, with 6 cases reported in the last 14 days. That list included sites with five or more cases with symptom onset within the last 14 days.
Wyandotte County has its own COVID-19 outbreak map online at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.
The UG’s outbreak map showed active outbreaks with five or more cases which have had a case within about the past month. The total number of cases can go back some months. On the UG’s outbreak map:
• Medicalodge of Kansas City, 6500 Greeley, Kansas City, Kansas, 55 cases, last known case reported Sept. 4.
• Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, 710 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas, 26 cases, last known case reported Sept. 8; included 13 primary cases and 13 secondary cases. According to the Health Department note, primary cases work or live at the location, while secondary cases contracted it from primary cases and did not have another likely source of illness.
• Kaw River Care and Rehab, 750 Blake St., Edwardsville, Kansas, 19 cases, last known case reported Sept. 11.
• VVF, 1705 Kansas Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, 17 cases, last known case reported Sept. 9.
• BNSF Railroad, mechanical shop, 2201 Argentine Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas, 11 cases, last known case reported Sept. 19.
• UPS, 223 N. James St., Kansas City, Kansas, 9 cases, last known case, Sept 11.
• Community First Bank, 650 Kansas Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, 6 cases, last known case reported Sept. 3.
• Moose Lodge, 6621 Turner Drive, Kansas City, Kansas, 6 cases, last known case, Sept. 1.
• Empire Candle, 2925 Fairfax Trafficway, Kansas City, Kansas, 5 cases, last known case, Sept. 4.
Wyandotte County reported an additional 27 COVID-19 cases on Monday, for a cumulative total of 7,183, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were no additional deaths reported, for a cumulative total of 134.
The University of Kansas Health System reported 32 patients in the hospital on Monday morning, the same as Friday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 11 patients in the intensive care unit, an increase from nine on Friday, with eight patients on the ventilator, an increase from seven. The doctors are concerned about the 70 percent ventilator rate. KU Health System has an additional 30 COVID-19 patients who are no longer in the acute stage but are still hospitalized, compared to 26 on Friday. At HaysMed, there were 19 inpatients, an increase from 12 on Friday.
At the University of Kansas Health System news conference on Monday morning, Dr. Doug Girod, KU chancellor, said that students and staff are abiding by the mask mandate on campus. They are hoping for more tests to be available, while making sure those who are infected are separated and receive treatment.
Chris Wilson, vice president of system integration and innovation at the health system, said there have been a thousand cases so far on the KU campus. The campus positivity rate of 3.5 percent and 5 to 10 new cases a day is better than the city of Lawrence, he added. KU has kept its classrooms open with a combination of in-person and online classes, while some other colleges have had to go completely virtual.
Free testing available on Tuesday
Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at All Saints parish, 811 Vermont, Kansas City, Kansas.
The pop-up tests are through the Health Equity Task Force and Vibrant Health.
Free tests also are at the UG Health Department parking lot, 619 Ann Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. They are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is needed.
The tests are for those who live or work in Wyandotte County. Participants should bring something that shows their address or their work place, such as a piece of mail or a work badge.
The pop-up tests and the Health Department tests now open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. People now can be tested without any symptoms. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule because of the weather or for other reasons.
More information about testing is at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19,
The governor’s news conference is online at https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/399547164542868.
The KU Health System news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/395192981494594.
The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.
The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.
The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.