Events scheduled today in KCK
As the community prepared for the celebration of Juneteenth, the new holiday’s significance was discussed at a news conference Friday morning at the University of Kansas Health System.
Juneteenth has been celebrated since June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Texas learned about their freedom and learned about the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued by President Lincoln two years earlier. Now it is commemorated as the day that slavery ended in America.
The holiday has been celebrated since 1865, but it was only this week that Juneteenth was named a federal holiday by the President signing a bill from Congress.
No matter what background, people should take some time on Juneteenth to reflect on what is important, the sacrifices some made so others could have liberty, according to Chaplain Clarence Miller.
Chaplain Miller recounted the history of Juneteenth, including 10,000 federal soldiers that arrived to enforce emancipation, and were met by 4,000 Confederate soldiers opposing it.
He said his family always celebrated Juneteenth when he was a child, and on a community level, there are a number of things that happened at local parks, including church services outdoors, talent shows and barbecues.
The national holiday designation has been a long time coming, he said.
COVID-19 has been tough for everyone, and his church isn’t doing anything specifically this Juneteenth, but he looks forward to getting back to doing activities again when the pandemic ends, Chaplain Miller said.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said it would be great to celebrate outdoors if it’s not too hot. He encouraged people to promote COVID-19 vaccinations at their events.
Broderick Crawford, president of the New Bethel Church Community Development Corp. in Kansas City, Kansas, said his family also celebrated Juneteenth when he was young, and his family was from Louisiana, where Juneteenth has a greater significance.
He pointed out the federal holiday passed unanimously in the Senate and a large majority in the House, one of the few things that there has been agreement on.
“This is going to be one of the few opportunities folks have to get outside. There will be parades and all sorts of activities to get outside,” he said.
Activities are happening in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, he said, with food, games and vendors.
One of the largest events is expected to be at the 18th and Vine area in Kansas City, Missouri, he said, with food, games and activities.
In Kansas City, Kansas, a parade starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, and travels on Quindaro Boulevard to the Vernon Multi-Purpose Center, he said. Everything culminates near the John Brown Statue near the Vernon Center. That is the site of the former Western University.
As they travel on Quindaro Boulevard, there will be a festival, barbecue and games, he said.
Historian Chester Owen is the grand marshal of the KCK parade, and will present information about it, he said.
Crawford said the Unified Government Health Department will provide masks and COVID-19 testing at the Juneteenth event Saturday.
His congregation, at New Bethel Church, is participating as one of the flagship churches for testing through the Health Department. They have had a vaccine and testing program, along with mammogram screening recently. Crawford estimated the congregation is about 75 to 80 percent vaccinated at this time.
The church is making an effort to get medical information to its members through doctors so they have a chance to make their decisions based on facts, he said.
Dr. Hawkinson recommended that people participating in events this weekend celebrate in a healthy manner, and remember to use sunscreen, stay hydrated in the hot weather, get vaccinated and talk with friends and family about getting their vaccinations.
For large events, CDC guidelines say that vaccinated people do not need masks, while unvaccinated people should wear masks (see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html).
Miller and Crawford made their remarks at the morning media update Friday at the University of Kansas Health System, online at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/307746447502697.
Free walk-in vaccinations available
The Kansas National Guard Armory at 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge) will be open for free walk-in vaccinations for everyone 18 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19. The vaccines are through the Unified Government Health Department.
The Unified Government Health Department vaccination hours changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive COVID-19 vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.
The Health Department is doing more mobile COVID-19 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.
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. The website also tells whether vaccines are in stock at the locations.
Case numbers reported
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, reported the COVID-19 case numbers Friday at the University of Kansas Health System were 14 active COVID-19 patients being treated at the hospital, a decrease of three since Thursday. Five patients were in the intensive care unit. Two were on ventilators. Eleven other patients were still in the hospital, in the recovery phase. There was a total of 25 patients, same as Thursday. One week before, there was a total of nine COVID-19 patients.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 13 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, for a cumulative 18,977 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 299 deaths reported, no change.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 175,861 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday in the Kansas City region. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 54.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 316,539 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, June 18, an increase of 196 cases since Wednesday. There were a total of 5,129 cumulative deaths reported statewide.
According to KDHE figures, Johnson County had a cumulative 59,550 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, an increase of 36 since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,732 COVID-19 cases on Friday, June 18, an increase of 44. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,291 cases on Friday, June 18.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 33,516,213 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 601,571 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 10,399 new cases nationwide and 281 new deaths nationwide.
States with high numbers of new cases were California, 1,056; Texas, 793; Missouri, 761; Colorado, 543; and New York, 446.
Countries with high numbers of new cases were Brazil, 74,042; India, 62,480; Colombia, 29,945; Argentina, 23,597; and U.S., 10,399.
Free testing available
Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. This is the eastern location for the UG Health Department clinics.
Wyandotte County residents may contact the Health Department at wycohelp.org to sign up for a test to be delivered to their home.
For more details about free COVID-19 testing offered by the UG Health Department, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19, https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept or call 3-1-1.
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 KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/598191457866019.
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=.
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.