Opinion column
by Rep. Pam Curtis, D-32nd Dist.
The Kansas Legislature reconvened on Wednesday after a short break following Turnaround. House Committees have started hearing and working bills that passed the Senate during the first part of the session.
Kansas has its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Below is additional information about that case, which is in Johnson County, as well as preventive measures and links to KDHE and the CDC for accurate up to date information. Taking preventive measures and staying informed with factual information will help all of us keep our families safer.
Last Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers joined a discussion at the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County about what Medicaid Expansion would mean to so many in our community. Sen. Pat Pettey, Sen. David Haley and I were invited to listen in on the conversation.
As supporters of Medicaid expansion, we appreciated the opportunity to hear the discussion and are hopeful that we will have the opportunity to vote and pass expansion this session. Medicaid expansion will provide coverage to more that 130,000 low-income Kansans. It would cover people whose household earnings fall below 138 percent of the federal poverty level which is $36,156 for a family of four.
Our Thursday Summit speaker this past week was Secretary of Commerce David Toland. Secretary Toland and David Soffer, KDOC legislative and policy director, shared information about the programs and policies to increase economic growth in Kansas. Check out the KDOC website at https://www.kansascommerce.gov/?link_id=2&can_id=023d31edc122894f23632d826d9946f5&source=email-2020-legislative-update-week-8-2&email_referrer=email_743774___from_996940___subject_996939&email_subject=week-8-update.
It was very exciting to see the winners of the Kansas Small Business Awards at the State Capitol. The Small Business Development Center honored Kansas businesses that are making a positive impact on Kansas communities. It was great to hear their success stories and offer my congratulations to the 2020 award winners.
Hope you will join us for a Legislative Coffee at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The Wyandotte County legislators will provide information about the 2020 legislative session and answer questions about matters before the Kansas Legislature.
It is a special honor to serve as your state representative. I value and appreciate your input on issues facing state government. Please feel free to contact me with your comments and questions. My office address is Room 452-S, 300 SW 10th, Topeka, KS 66612. You can reach me at 785-296-7430 or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-432-3924 to leave a message for me. You can also e-mail me at mailto:[email protected].
COVID-19 in Kansas
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) confirmed the first presumptive-positive case of COVID-19 in Kansas. The possible case was identified today with testing sent to KDHE’s Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL). KHEL, which is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform COVID-19 testing, found presumptive-positive results this afternoon. These results will be verified by the CDC lab but will be treated as positive unless determined otherwise.
The case is located in Johnson County and the patient is currently in home isolation, following the guidance of the CDC. KDHE continues to work with the local health department and CDC to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while they were infectious and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms. The patient is a female under the age of 50 years old.
Under Gov.Kelly’s direction, KDHE and KDEM are in constant communication with local hospitals and health departments, coordinating with local, state and federal public health partners; preparing for emergency management situations on a regular basis, with staff who have decades of experience in developing responses and preventative measures for any situation; continuing to work with federal, state and local partners to maintain awareness of national and international COVID-19 trends and strategies.
Here is some helpful information:
Symptoms
Symptoms may include fever, cough, shortness of breath. These symptoms can develop 2-14 days after exposure. The symptoms can range from mild to severe – and in rare cases, have resulted in death.
If you have recently traveled to areas including China, Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea and have developed fever with lower respiratory symptoms including cough and shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel or have had contact with someone with a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider. You may also call the KDHE phone hotline number.
KDHE hotline number: 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF)
Prevention
There is no current vaccine for COVID-19. However, there are ways to prevent the spread of this disease.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Cough into your sleeve and sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning products.
• Stay home when you are sick
The CDC considers this a significant threat as does the World Health Organization. With cases in over 13 US states, the federal government has taken some steps towards funding a preparatory defense. CDC has deployed multidisciplinary teams to support state health departments case identification, contact tracing, clinical management, and communications.
On Feb. 29, the U.S. government announced it was suspending entry of foreign nationals who have been in Iran within the past 14 days.
CDC has issued the following travel guidance related to COVID-19:
• China — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated Feb. 22.
• Hong Kong — Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions — issued Feb. 19.
• Iran — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated Feb. 28.
• Italy — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated Feb. 28.
• Japan — Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions — updated Feb. 22.
• South Korea — Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel — updated Feb. 24.
CDC also recommends that all travelers reconsider cruise ship voyages into or within Asia at this time.
For more information about COVID-19, visit KDHE’s website at http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/?link_id=5&can_id=023d31edc122894f23632d826d9946f5&source=email-2020-legislative-update-week-8-2&email_referrer=email_743774___from_996940___subject_996939&email_subject=week-8-update and Frequently Asked Questions at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/?link_id=6&can_id=023d31edc122894f23632d826d9946f5&source=email-2020-legislative-update-week-8-2&email_referrer=email_743774___from_996940___subject_996939&email_subject=week-8-update.
Designating the Kansas Official State Dance
House Bill 2385, designating the Polka as the official state dance was amended in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee designating the Polka and Square Dance as the official state dances in Kansas! It now advances to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
Kansas State Library
The State Library celebrated 50 years of Talking Books in Kansas with Kansas Talking Books Week March 1-7.
The Kansas Talking Books program, a division of the State Library of Kansas, provides library materials in a specialized format to any Kansas resident with a visual or physical impairment that makes reading difficult. This no-charge service includes fiction and nonfiction in braille or audio format, magazines in braille or audio, plus descriptive videos. A simple application is available. A signature from a certifying authority such as a medical doctor, optometrist, or librarian is needed. If you or someone you know would like information, please visit the Kansas Talking Books website or call 620-341-6280 or 1-800-362-0699.
Resources
My Legislative Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PamCurtisKCK/?ref=bookmarks
My Twitter account, https://twitter.com/pcurtiskck.
My website, https://www.curtisforkck.com/?utm_campaign=2020ksleg4&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pamcurtis.
Kansas Legislature website, http://kslegislature.org/li/.