Tag: COVID-19

State officials try to reassure businesses, workers in COVID-19 pandemic

Interest-free loan program announced for hospitality industry; labor office swamped with 10,000 more unemployment cases this week

State officials tried to reassure Kansas residents, businesses and workers at a news conference Friday morning, announcing a new interest-free loan program for the hospitality industry, and urging workers and businesses to file unemployment applications and paperwork online.

Gov. Laura Kelly said Kansas expects to qualify for disaster loans from the Small Business Administration. That would provide low-interest disaster loans of up to $2 million to small businesses suffering economic injury because of COVID-19, she said.

The loans, available from the SBA, would keep Kansas businesses afloat, if they are unable to receive assistance elsewhere.

Gov. Kelly said state government will use every tool possible to assist businesses and workers.

Gov. Kelly said a hospitality emergency relief (HIRE) fund is being implemented to provide speedy assistance to hospitality businesses whose operations are being disrupted and need support now.

Gov. Kelly said she had signed a bipartisan bill on Thursday that extended unemployment benefits from 16 weeks to 26 weeks for Kansas residents who are eligible for unemployment.

According to officials, about 762 hotels and accommodation businesses, and nearly 10,000 food establishments in Kansas are faced with difficult economic times.

Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland said they worked through the weekend to provide documentation showing substantial injury had occurred to businesses from the coronavirus, in order to apply for disaster relief, and they hoped the state would be approved on Friday or Saturday. They applied for all 105 counties in Kansas. The low-interest loans, up to a $2 million total, would be for businesses suffering from substantial injury, he said.

The state has identified $6.3 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds in 37 Kansas communities that could be used for revolving loan programs in those communities, he said. The state has reduced the time to process these loans, and might be able to issue working capital loans in as little as two days, he said.

The HIRE fund would make short-term loans to hospitality firms with 100 or fewer employees, to pay for payroll, utility bills, commercial loans, accounts payable, inventory and more, he said. It is intended to be a bridge loan to help firms survive, he said. The maximum loan amount would be $20,000 with no principal and interest due until four months after the loan closes.

About $5 million is being made available to establish the fund, he said, with decisions made within a few days. Four counties in the Kansas City area, defined by the department as Johnson, Wyandotte, Shawnee and Douglas counties, could receive a combined total of $2 million.

More information will be available at the Commerce Department website, www.kansascommerce.gov/ and https://www.kansascommerce.gov/covid-19-response/hospitality-industry-relief-emergency-hire-fund/?fbclid=IwAR1eh1WVxCwZZ_qHMgPHJOPzyiPiK61YMIHT_6w_cEYRFgYbK5jwbkteG6s.

Chuck Magerl, owner of Free State Brewing in Lawrence, spoke at the news conference, saying the stunning downturn has taken an immense toll on restaurants, coffee shops, and other establishments including lodging.

Kansas Secretary of Labor Delia Garcia said there were 1,296 unemployment insurance claims last week, and 11,355 this week, an increase of 10,059 in just the first week.

“We are in uncharted waters right now,” she said.

She said it is important for workers and employers to use the labor department’s website, www.dol.ks.gov/, or www.getkansasbenefits.gov/, as much as possible. The state office is swamped with phone calls, wait times are long and getting information online will speed up the process, she said. The phone lines should be reserved for those who are not able to use the website or for non-English speakers, she said.

Many workers that are unemployed or working reduced hours may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits for 36 weeks, she said. The requirements are less stringent at this time.

Unemployed workers may receive a maximum of $488 and a minimum of $122, she said.

Kansas Banking Commissioner David Herndon reminded people that their money is safer in banks that are insured by the FDIC, which many Kansas banks are, than it is in cash in their homes. The banks have federal insurance up to $250,000 per account.

While there are no reported instances of people making large cash withdrawals, he said some people have called banks and asked if it is available, and some have taken out more than usual.

In answer to a question, Gov. Kelly said they are looking at all deadlines, and will be modifying them where they need to.

To view the news conference on Facebook, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/207168857203293/.

The rest of the school year in Kansas will be short days with limited screen time

by Nomin Ujiyediin, Kansas News Service

Lawrence, Kansas — With public and private school buildings closed until August, education officials want students to limit their screen time and spend less than three hours a day learning.


A report released Thursday directs districts to spend five days assessing students’ technology needs, building lesson plans and telling parents what to expect. Districts are required to submit a plan to the state for doing so by early April.


On Tuesday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ordered all schools in the state closed until the start of the next academic year to stem the spread of COVID-19.


The report says that teachers, parents and students will need to be flexible and adjust to a new style of instruction. And it emphasizes that screen time and learning often aren’t that same thing.


“Continuous learning is learning any time, anywhere,” said Dyane Smokorowski, an Andover teacher and a member of the task force that created the report over three days. “That can be done outside, that can be done in your living room, that can be done on a front porch.”


Schools will no longer be expected to administer standardized tests. In fact, they won’t be able to because federal guidelines say they can’t be administered remotely.


“We are not going to be doing state assessments unless something would change dramatically in (Kelly’s school-closing) executive order,” said education commissioner Randy Watson. “It would be impossible for it to be done … from a confidentiality perspective.”


Proms and graduations will be canceled unless they meet county health departments for group gatherings.


Districts may allow students to return to school to pick up belongings, but only in small groups. Teachers may also meet in school buildings to plan lessons or meet with families.


Other recommendations in the report include:


• Limiting daily instruction time, based on the child’s age level. The times range from 30 minutes a day for pre-K students, up to 3 hours for 6th-12th grade students.
• Teachers having designated online office hours and using screen sharing and recording to teach lessons.
• Schools sending devices home with students if they are available, checking with local internet service providers about access, and encouraging families to use mobile devices as hotspots.
• Teachers using online platforms to collect student work and assess progress.
• Districts providing lists of resources for food, transportation, clothing and other needs to parents.
• Learning through a combination of videos, handouts, writing and recreation time.


Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for KCUR and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @NominUJ.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
See more at https://www.kcur.org/post/rest-school-year-kansas-will-be-short-days-limited-screen-time

UG Commission unanimously approves emergency measures to deal with COVID-19

In a special meeting on March 19, the Unified Government Commission unanimously approved several emergency measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nine positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Wyandotte County on March 19, according to health officials.

The mayor, UG administrator and Health Department staff made remarks at the meeting, while the UG Commissioners phoned in their comments and votes. The meeting was broadcast on UGTV, with a viewing area for the public in the City Hall lobby to accomplish social distancing.

The commission voted unanimously to extend the mayor’s emergency declaration to May 18.

The commission also unanimously approved an amendment that makes it a misdemeanor to violate, refuse or fail to comply with a written order of the health officer, Board of Health or director of health.

Those who violate the order could be fined a maximum of $500, according to UG officials.

The Sheriff’s Department or Police Department could make arrests, and violators could be prosecuted under the action, according to the UG’s chief attorney.

Also, the commission unanimously voted to authorize the county coroner or the UG administrator to appoint one or more deputy coroners if needed.

Then, meeting as the Wyandotte County Board of Health, the commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to ratify and support the emergency public health orders issued by Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer, on March 16 and March 17. Those orders restricted gatherings to 10 or fewer, and also closed restaurants, bars, taverns, movie theaters and casinos, to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The establishments could continue providing takeout food.

Mayor David Alvey said the point of it all is to “flatten the curve,” to to avoid a spike that would overload the health care system.

“The recent decision by us and by Johnson County, Jackson County and Kansas City, Missouri, to close restaurants and bars is really an attempt to get out in front of it, because that’s what is happening elsewhere,” Mayor Alvey said.

Doug Bach, UG administrator, said he wanted to make sure the first-providers in the field are protected, also. They are working with Kansas and others to try to get supplies, he said.

This week, the UG began closing government offices. Effective Monday, they will effectively close operations to the public, including the motor vehicle area, and tags, where renewals will be available online, he said. The local district courts and municipal courts are suspended through late April, with district courts hearing emergency cases.

City Hall, the courthouse, Neighborhood Resource Center and annex operations will not be available for the public until further notice, he said.

There will be some public meetings where the doors will open about 15 minutes before the start of the meeting, he said, and they are working on other measures for public participation.

The public may walk into the police headquarters, South Patrol and Midtown Patrol to make reports, and they will be in glassed-in areas for security, he said.

Transit operations will continue through the metro area, coordinating with others in the Kansas City area, he said.

He said more information is on the UG’s website at Wycokck.org/COVID-19.

A collaborative group of leaders, health groups, hospitals, social service agencies, the three cities and others has been meeting to discuss the approach the UG should take to COVID-19, Mayor Alvey said.

He said they are beginning teleconference calls with the Kansas City, Kansas, Chamber of Commerce, Bonner Springs Chamber of Commerce, Wyandotte Economic Development and others.

They also will be conducting teleconference calls with local pastors on how to keep groups under 10.

Terrie Garrison, deputy director of the UG Health Department, gave an update on COVID-19 in Wyandotte County.

She said there were nine positive cases in the county as of March 19, and that the Health Department is investigating all of the contacts in the cases. They are determining if the persons need to self-quarantine or if there is a need for testing.

The Health Department is also setting up a process for testing, she said.

Those who have primary care doctors should call their doctor’s office first for information about whether they need to be tested, according to health officials.

A safety net provider, Southwest Boulevard Family Health Clinic, has set up drive-through safety net COVID-19 testing today for those patients who go to safety net clinics, according to Garrison.

The patients have to go through a safety net clinic and be assessed before they can drive-through for a test, she added.

Dr. Allen Greiner, the chief medical officer for Wyandotte County, said four COVID-19 drive-through tests were administered to the safety clinic today. Most of those tests will go to private labs, he added.

He said the Health Department is trying to work closely with the testing site to help with protocol and follow-up. They also will do contact investigation and tracing with the individuals who test positive.

“We’ve increased the size of our contact investigation activities,” Dr. Greiner said.

Volunteers with Heart to Heart International, who have done work with infectious diseases previously, are assisting, he said.

He added that Johnson County has decided not to do contact tracing because they have community spread, and have some positive cases where they cannot determine where the person contracted the disease.

He said he expected that Wyandotte County would continue to do its contact tracing work indefinitely.

Those who have contacts with positive COVID-19 cases are being asked to go into a 14-day quarantine, he said. Some of these cases will be “presumptive positive,” he added.

There has been a lack of testing previously, and having some community testing will help the Health Department, he believes. The community has a number of vulnerable people and health officials want to do everything to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Since there seems to be a lack of tests, local health officials will also rely on self-reporting.

Garrison said people may self-report their symptoms and severity to the Health Department, and health workers will get back with them, follow up and advise them. There will be a form available in the future on the UG’s COVID-19 website for self-reporting. Some of those who are self-reporting could be assumed to be presumptive positive.

Garrison said that would help them with “hot-spotting” different areas in the community to see where there might be pockets of infection.

Wyandotte Health Foundation is helping with funding sources for the safety nets, she said.

A former Health Department epidemiologist has come back to help with the effort, she added.

Challenges include making sure there are enough supplies for the Health Department and safety net providers, EMS workers and police officers, she said, and testing supplies.

Those who have a cough and fever should stay home unless they are going to their health care providers, she said. They should call first before they go. She also emphasized washing hands, keeping six feet away from others, cleaning surfaces and not shaking hands.

“It’s been amazing to watch the cooperation and teamwork that has transpired,” Commissioner Melissa Bynum said. “This community has shown us, once again, how resilient we are.”

To view the meeting, with more comments from the commissioners, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bWe5oKFJU.

For more information, visit https://www.wycokck.org/COVID-19.