Tag: COVID-19

Health Department offers COVID-19 guidance

Although the mask and health orders expired Friday night in Wyandotte County, the Unified Government is offering COVID-19 guidance for residents.

During the UG Commission meeting on Thursday, some commissioners said it was important to follow mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also said that businesses and other organizations may implement their own mask policies for visitors and workers at their sites.

The UG Health Department will continue its COVID-19 response efforts, according to Health Department Director Juliann Van Liew.

“As a health department we will continue to strongly encourage the use of masks for individuals who are unvaccinated, especially indoors, and we will continue to focus on vaccines,” Van Liew said. “We will also encourage our local businesses and other entities to require masks indoors in their places of operation. We will also, of course, require masks in all areas of our COVID-19 vaccine operations, including stationary and mobile sites, and other Health Department facilities.”

Mask guidance for individuals

*Fully vaccinated persons means you have received all doses (two doses for Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose for Johnson and Johnson) and at least two weeks have passed since your final dose.

Mask guidance for organizations and businesses

The UG is no longer requiring masks or social distancing in Wyandotte County. However, organizations in the county may establish their own policies.

• Businesses and organizations may choose to implement mask requirements for their workers, customers, members and visitors.
• For example, a business could require employees to wear masks while at work and require customers to wear a mask in order to enter the business.
• School boards may choose to implement mask requirements for faculty, staff, students and vsitors.
• Community members are likely to be asked to wear a mask in health-related settings such as clinics and doctors’ offices.

Events and gatherings

If you are planning a large gathering or event, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• If everyone attending is vaccinated, it is fine to go without masks.
• If people in attendance are not vaccinated, or you are uncertain of the vaccination status of attendees, encourage people who are not vaccinated to wear masks. You may want to consider asking everyone to wear masks as an extra precaution.
• If it is possible to keep a list of attendees, this can help for contact tracing if there were cases or an outbreak following the event.
• Make hand hygiene accessible by offering places to wash hands or by providing hand sanitizer.
• Consider offering a mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic or including COVID-19 vaccines as part of your event. Submit a mobile vaccine request at WycoVaccines.org or call 3-1-1.

Masks in UG facilities

Visitors will be required to wear a mask upon entry to any UG facility, including the UG Health Department’s vaccination sites.

Continued importance of vaccine and testing

The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for people age 12 or older. The Health Department continues to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone age 12 and older, with or without an appointment, and with no health insurance needed. Additionally, free COVID-19 saliva tests are available at the Health Department vaccination sites, and testing can now be delivered to a person’s home by submitting a request online or by calling 3-1-1. Testing is still strongly recommended for anyone who has symptoms, and for unvaccinated people with a known exposure to COVID-19 or as a precaution, such as before or after travel.

More information about vaccines is at WycoVaccines.org or call 3-1-1. Other COVID-19 information, including testing information, is at wycokck.org/COVID-19.

CDC guidance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide guidance on masks. The guidance states that it is relatively safe for people who are fully vaccinated to go without masks in most settings, including indoor public spaces. People who are unvaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated are strongly urged to continue wearing masks in public settings.

For more information about the CDC’s guidance on masks, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/participate-in-activities.html,

Free walk-in vaccinations available Saturday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 18 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. This clinic is in partnership with Donnelly College. People may also schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The Unified Government Health Department schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

The Health Department is doing more mobile 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.

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

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.

Case numbers reported

The number of active COVID-19 patients was holding steady Friday at the University of Kansas Health System, according to Dr. Hawkinson. There were six active COVID-19 patients, no change from Thursday. One of the patients was in the intensive care unit, no change from Thursday. None was on a ventilator. Twelve other patients were hospitalized because of COVID-19 but were not in the acute infection phase, the same as Thursday. The total is 18 patients.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of three COVID-19 cases on Friday, May 28, for a cumulative 18,730 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 293 deaths reported, no change from Thursday.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 174,422 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Friday, an increase of 154 cases since Thursday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 50.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 313,997 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Friday, May 28, an increase of 277 cases since Wednesday, May 26. There were a total cumulative 5,076 deaths reported statewide, an increase of nine.

Johnson County had a cumulative 59,144 cases on Friday, an increase of 59 since Wednesday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,255 cases on Friday, an increase of three since Wednesday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 57,272 cases on Friday, an increase of 46 since Wednesday.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Friday night reported 33,239,700 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 593,955 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 27,525 new cases nationwide and 1,338 new deaths nationwide.
States with rising numbers of new cases were California, 5,339; Florida, 2,338; Texas 1,601; Washington 1,531; and Pennsylvania, 1,293.
Countries with rising numbers of new cases were India, 186,364; Brazil, 67,467; Argentina, 41,080; U.S., 27,525; and Colombia, 25,092, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Saturday

Free COVID-19 testing will be offered from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 29, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 200 S. 20th St., (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are not needed.

For more information, about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 29, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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 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.

Strokes more likely in COVID-19 patients

Is there a connection between COVID-19 and strokes?

Dr. Colleen Lechtenberg, neurologist and director of The Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center, said that one in five stroke activations at the University of Kansas Health System during the peak of the pandemic was for a patient who was ultimately diagnosed with COVID-19.

“COVID-19 played a major role in strokes during the peak time of the pandemic,” Dr. Lechtenberg said.

She said she and colleagues are seeing a number of patients in the long-haul COVID-19 clinic who have neurological problems, including brain fog, headache, fatigue and malaise.

The number of COVID-19 patients now has dropped off, but whether or not there is a pandemic, a stroke still is a challenge, with 2 million brain cells dying per minute. It is important to get treatment for the stroke as soon as possible, to reverse the symptoms with TPA, a clot-busting drug, and other interventions.

Most hospitals can offer first-line treatment. The University of Kansas Health System also can offer the next level treatment, she said.

Dr. Lechtenberg recommended that people get vaccinated and seek medical care immediately at the first sign of a stroke.

Dr. Matt Jones, internal medicine, said not only is it important to recognize the early symptoms of stroke, it’s more important to prevent strokes.

He offered Simple Seven tips: stop smoking; eat a healthy diet; exercise daily; understand body mass index; control blood pressure; keep cholesterol low; and control blood sugars.

Dr. Jones said that e-cigarettes and vaping are not safer alternatives to cigarettes, as they are designed to get tobacco and nicotine into the body at a higher rate. E-cigarettes and vaping are not recommended for people trying to quit smoking, he said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said reports show that vaccinated health care workers who are routinely exposed to COVID-19 patients have shown up to 94 percent effectiveness in resisting the disease.

Dr. Hawkinson said it is important to be watchful for a virus mutation coming from India, which seems to be spreading. Also, he believes churchgoers will be safer when they are vaccinated, and until they are, they should keep wearing masks and socially distancing. He encouraged everyone 12 and older to get vaccinated.

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, said medical marijuana has the same risk as any other kind of smoking because a foreign substance is being inhaled. He said the same was true about cigar smoking. Cigars can cause throat and mouth cancer even for those who say they don’t inhale.

Dr. Stites wondered if it was too soon to have full attendance at Royals games. While it’s not too soon for someone fully vaccinated, it’s different for someone who is not, and those who are not vaccinated need to wear a mask to protect others who have not been vaccinated, he said.

“If you haven’t been vaccinated and you have a chronic health condition, be careful out there,” he said. He would hesitate to go back for another month if that was the case, he said.

Testing is down, so hospitalization rates are more of a bellwether for disease spread. It’s good that hospitalization numbers are down, he said, and the data should be observed for another month to make sure it is down. If it is, he’s in favor of returning to the ballpark.

It’s more of a personal question, he said.

“How healthy are you, how willing are you to take risks, and how willing are you to give that risk to somebody else,” he said. “If you’ve been vaccinated, I’d definitely take it safe.”

As soon as he can get there after May 31, he’s going to the K, he said, because he’s been vaccinated. While he would be comfortable going to an outdoor event, he’s not ready yet for indoor events.

Dr. Hawkinson said if he goes out and later has symptoms, they would probably be mild because he has had the vaccination. However, he would have to get tested and then he would probably miss 10 days of work, he said. For that reason, he would be more cautious.

Free vaccinations available Thursday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed on Thursday.

The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the new schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

The Health Department is doing more mobile 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.

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

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.Other sites available for vaccinations

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.

Case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported that the number of COVID-19 inpatients is steady. Eleven persons with the active virus were being treated on Wednesday, an increase of two since Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Two of those patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of one since Tuesday. Both of those patients were on a ventilator, an increase of one since Tuesday. There were an additional seven patients still hospitalized because of COVID-19, but out of the acute infection phase, a decrease of four since Tuesday. There were a total of 18 COVID-19 patients, a decrease of two since Tuesday. The doctors were pleasantly surprised with the lower COVID-19 numbers at the hospital and in the nation.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of 10 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, May 19, for a cumulative 18,667 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change.

The UG Health Department reported 31.44 percent of Wyandotte County residents, or 52,015, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 26.08 percent, or 43,148, were fully vaccinated. Of Wyandotte County residents age 12 and up, 38.7 percent had at least one dose.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,390 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 32. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 60.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,591 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Wednesday, May 19, an increase of 518 cases since Monday, May 17. There were a total cumulative 5,053 deaths reported statewide, an increase of 13.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,864 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 188 since Monday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,238 cases on Wednesday, an increase of one case since Monday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 56,960 cases on Wednesday, an increase of 122 since Monday.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday night reported 33,026,290 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 587,867 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 27,851 new cases nationwide and 857 new deaths nationwide.
States with the highest number of new cases were Texas, 3,092; Florida, 2,805; Pennsylvania, 1,641; Michigan, 1,535; and New York, 1,525.

Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 267,334; Brazil, 75,445; Argentina, 35,543; U.S., 27,851; and France, 17,223, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Thursday

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at the Vibrant Health – Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas. The testing is in conjunction with Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not necessary.

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at the National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas, and at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. For more information about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 20, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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/118132960329572.

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=.

Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.

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.

Doctors urge people to get emergency care as soon as they need it

This has been a very difficult year for emergency health care workers.

Dr. Chad Cannon, chair and clinical service chief of emergency medicine at the University of Kansas Health System, said dealing with the pandemic has been the hardest thing he’s had to do in his career. He made his remarks at the University of Kansas Health System news conference Tuesday.

Dr. Cannon said that the hospital’s emergency department is now doing well, after patient volume dropped when the pandemic hit in 2020. Now patients have overcome their fears and have come back to receive emergency care.

In the meantime, some of those who came in during 2020 delayed treatment and were sicker when they did come in.

According to Dr. Cannon, the staff has been extremely safe with a 99 percent vaccination rate. It’s one of the safest places to be, since they have been vaccinated and are wearing a mask, he added. Also, he said no patients got COVID-19 while they were in the emergency department or the hospital.

Starting Tuesday, emergency department patients are being asked if they want to receive the vaccine, he said.

Last year, there was a capacity problem with the emergency department, but that is no longer the case, according to Dr. Cannon. There were times last year when they had to convert other areas to expand capacity for the emergency room.

Now, those who need emergency care should seek it as soon as possible, he said.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control, said said a lot of the volume now are typical medical and surgical procedures. He advised people to come to the emergency department early and be evaluated for heart or other symptoms.

According to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, COVID-19 is still widespread in the area, and although hospitalization numbers have been decreasing, people can’t let their guards down.

The only way to get back to normal, according to Dr. Stites, is for everyone to get vaccinated.

Free vaccinations available Wednesday

Free walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for everyone 12 and older from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. Free walk-in vaccinations also will be available from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. People also can schedule vaccinations at WycoVaccines.org.

The former Best Buy at 10500 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, will be closed on Wednesday.

The schedule of vaccinations changed recently. To see the new schedule and more information about vaccinations, visit WycoVaccines.org or https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.

Those who receive vaccinations are asked to consider bringing an ID to make the process go faster.

The Health Department is doing more mobile 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.

UG Health Department vaccinations are now open to people from other counties and states. People may walk in for vaccinations or can schedule them.

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.

Case numbers reported

The University of Kansas Health System reported that the number of COVID-19 inpatients is steady. Nine persons with the active virus were being treated on Tuesday, no change from Monday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. Three of those patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of one since Monday. One of those patients was on a ventilator, no change from Monday. There were an additional 11 patients still hospitalized because of COVID-19, but out of the acute infection phase, an increase of one since Monday. There were a total of 20 COVID-19 patients, an increase of one since Monday. According to doctors, overall testing is down, and some of the nine active patients were admitted to the health system for something else, then a routine screening discovered the virus.

Wyandotte County reported an increase of five COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, May 18, for a cumulative 18,657 cases, according to the Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 webpage. There was a cumulative total of 292 deaths reported, no change.

The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 173,358 cumulative COVID-19 cases, an increase of 160. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 60.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 312,074 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Kansas on Monday, May 17, an increase of 369 cases since Friday, May 14. There were a total cumulative 5,040 deaths reported statewide, an increase of two.
Johnson County had a cumulative 58,676 cases on Monday, an increase of 177 since Friday, according to the KDHE. Leavenworth County had a cumulative 7,237 cases on Monday, an increase of five since Friday. Sedgwick County had a cumulative 56,838 cases on Monday, an increase of 68 since Friday.

The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday night reported 32,996,565 cumulative COVID-19 cases in the United States, with 587,199 total deaths reported nationwide. There were 28,634 new cases nationwide and 392 new deaths nationwide.
States with the highest number of new cases were North Carolina, 2,618; Michigan, 2,576; Texas, 2,4510; Florida, 1,976; and Pennsylvania, 1,474.
Countries with the highest number of new cases were India, 263,533; Brazil, 30,148; Argentina, 28,680; U.S., 28,634; and Iran, 14,209, according to Johns Hopkins information.

Free testing available Wednesday

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, at the Vibrant Health Cordell D. Meeks Jr. Clinic, formerly Children’s Mercy West, at 4313 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The testing is in conjunction with Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force. Appointments are not necessary.

Free COVID-19 testing will be available from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, at the National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th, (near 18th and Ridge), Kansas City, Kansas. Free testing also will be available from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the former Kmart, 7836 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. For more information about UG Health Department COVID-19 testing sites and hours, visit https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept. Appointments are not needed.

One of the WellHealth sites for free COVID-19 testing is open beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 19, at Lowe’s at 6920 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Appointments are required. For more information, to see other testing sites and to make an appointment, visit https://www.gogettested.com/kansas.

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/1124119091400581.

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=.

Information about the mask ordinance passed April 29, which loosened restrictions in Wyandotte County, is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/updatedwycomaskorder04302021.pdf. The new mask order is online at https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/amend-lho-may-6-2021.pdf.

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.