A repeal of the mask mandate in Wyandotte County has been added to Thursday night’s Unified Government Commission agenda.
According to a UG spokesman, the agenda item was added by new Mayor Tyrone Garner.
The UG Commission voted on Nov. 30 to extend the mask mandate to Jan. 6. Information on the current mandate, which only applies to the city of Kansas City, Kansas, and unincorporated portions of Wyandotte County, is at https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/kck-mask-mandate-extended-nr-11192021.pdf.
If it passes the resolution would end the mask mandate at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 16.
The lobby of City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., will be open to the public to view the meeting, but because of COVID, there will not be an in-person meeting.
The meeting can be viewed on UGTV cable television and on YouTube. It is also being carried on the internet on Zoom and can be accessed by phone. For more information, see the agenda at https://civicclerk.blob.core.windows.net/stream/WYCOKCK/b80b51c9-43a7-46ef-9c06-5e6e2dbf1053.pdf?sv=2015-12-11&sr=b&sig=uH59B7xQmZvP6n1HdVfso%2FR1DhNCZFo%2Bnxj4TbhugnQ%3D&st=2021-12-16T02%3A42%3A32Z&se=2022-12-16T02%3A47%3A32Z&sp=r&rscc=no-cache&rsct=application%2Fpdf.
COVID hospitalizations on the increase in KC area
COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the increase in the Kansas City area, according to a discussion held Wednesday morning at the University of Kansas Health System.
KU Health System had a total of 64 COVID patients hospitalized on Wednesday, up from 58 on Tuesday, according to hospital officials. Eleven COVID patients were in the intensive care unit, with six on ventilators.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health, said the omicron variant spread is doubling every two to three days and is coming through the Midwest. The local rate is nearly the biggest surge they have had in the pandemic, he said.
According to Dr. Stites, hospitals are full and new cases of COVID may keep people who are sick and have a time-sensitive diagnosis from getting care.
“This is a challenging time because we’re so darn tired of following the rules,” Dr. Stites said. “But with omicron coming for the holidays, people not wearing masks, gathering indoors and not enough of us vaccinated, this may be our greatest challenge.”
Dr. Nathan Bahr, infectious disease physician, said it was “hugely concerning” that schools and communities are ending mask mandates just as this new surge is here and stressed why they are necessary now more than ever.
“It’s so easy and it’s so effective and is something you can do for your community that will help those numbers look better and stop that trend from going straight up,” he said.
He’s also worried that many of the therapies such as monoclonal antibodies are not going to be effective against omicron.
Dr. Catherine Satterwhite, Region 7 health administrator for Health and Human Services, is concerned that COVID admissions are up about 3 percent throughout the region. COVID admissions are up 13 percent in New York and New Jersey, and this area, Region 7, usually follows that trend, according to Dr. Satterwhite.
Even if omicron is not as severe, Dr. Satterwhite said it can still put people in the hospital, and since it’s more transmissible than delta, it threatens to place a tremendous burden on hospitals.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said the vast majority of those hospitalized and dying are not vaccinated. The COVID vaccine works like the flu vaccine in that the flu shot doesn’t stop the flu but keeps the symptoms from being as severe.
Chelsey Smith of the Community Blood Center discussed the blood shortage here. She said there is only a three- to four-day supply of blood, but that will probably drop around the holidays. She urged residents to make an appointment to give blood at savealifenow.org or by calling 877-468-6844.
Vaccines available
COVID testing and free vaccines are available at the former Kmart facility at 78th and State, Kansas City, Kansas. For hours and days vaccines are available, visit WycoVaccines.org or call 311.