The Unified Government Health Department today removed early closing times for bars, restaurants and taverns that had been put in place because of COVID-19.
The UG made a joint announcement with Johnson County, Kansas, and Jackson County, Missouri, to remove closing time restrictions.
While the early closing hours were changed, the restrictions are still in place to wear masks and physically distance, according to a Health Department spokesman. The restaurants and bars will still have 50 percent capacity, eight person per party, with parties sitting at least six feet apart, and wearing masks when they are not eating or drinking, the spokesman stated. Customers should remain seated as much as possible.
The new rules go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, the spokesman said.
Three officials, Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey, with Johnson County Chairman Ed Eilert and Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr., issued this statement Thursday:
“We continue to work together as a region to follow the data and take appropriate steps to protect public health. Harmonizing our COVID rules regarding bar and restaurant closing times makes life simpler for businesses and residents. We are encouraged by the progress our region is making in fighting the virus, but we also know the fight is not over, and people need to continue to wear masks, social distance, and get vaccinated.”
Kansas City, Missouri, loosened some of its restrictions on Friday, Feb. 19, and one of the differences between the Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Missouri’s new rules is that Wyandotte County will leave the other restrictions such as distancing, capacity and wearing masks in place. Kansas City, Missouri also retained masking and social distancing rules, although it lifted some restrictions on capacity.
“Business owners and operators in our region have gone to great lengths to comply with and implement health protocols to keep their staff, customers, and the community safe since the start of the pandemic,” Mayor Alvey said in a news release. “Our primary goal has been and remains containing the spread of COVID-19, while simultaneously working to help residents, businesses, and the community manage and retain a sense of normalcy during these challenging times. As such, I’m pleased that the latest public health data is allowing for further relaxation of existing Health Orders for local operators, and that this is being done jointly between Wyandotte, Jackson, and Johnson Counties in an effort to provide consistency and uniformity for both businesses and patrons. While service hours are being expanded, it remains the responsibility of everyone to do so in a safe and controlled manner, working to ensure employees and customers continue to mask up, maintain social distancing, disinfect, and work to protect the public health.”
The new Wyandotte County order lifts the previous closing time of 12:30 a.m.
Under the new order:
· The closing time restriction has been lifted. Restaurants, bars, and taverns may remain open until their pre-pandemic closing time. · Once closed for the evening, these businesses must remain closed until at least 6 a.m. each day. Restaurants can operate between their pre-pandemic closing time and 6 a.m. for drive-through or delivery services only.
Janell Friesen, spokesman for the UG Health Department, said it is all a matter of balancing. They are now seeing a lower positivity rate, in a seven-day rolling average, of about 14 percent in Wyandotte County, which has been trending downward, she said. At one point the rate was around 40 percent.
“We’re not completely out of the woods yet, COVID is still a threat to our community,” Friesen said. “We can’t completely remove all restrictions, but we can make some adjustments, based on what we are seeing.”
Local businesses are working with the Health Department in safety precautions, so the Health Department is able to make this adjustment to make it easier on local businesses, she said. The pandemic has certainly put a strain on local businesses and everyone, she added.
The UG Health Department currently is receiving about the same amount of vaccine as previously, around 2,000 doses a week, she said. Two vaccination sites now are up and running. Vaccinations now are open to adults 65 and older, with prioritization in the 66101, 66102 and 66105 area codes, where people are at higher risk for getting COVID-19, she said. Vaccinations are by appointment only, and she encouraged people to sign up at the Health Department’s website at wycokck.org/COVID-19 or to call 3-1-1. The Health Department will reach out to eligible persons to schedule a vaccination.
Wyandotte County residents can learn more online at wycokck.org/COVID-19, or by calling 3-1-1.
Local groups including the Black Health Care Coalition have launched efforts to convince people that it’s safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Melissa Robinson, president of the coalition and also a councilwoman in Kansas City, Missouri, said the organization is reaching out to local influencers to get information out about health care and the safety of the vaccine. She spoke during the Wednesday morning news conference at the University of Kansas Health System.
Robinson said they want to work with barbers, beauticians, faith leaders and other people with strong networks in the community to get the message out that the vaccines are safe. She is encouraging people to reach out to others on Facebook and social media in “The Science is Safe” campaign.
Together, they will educate and inform people about the COVID-19 vaccines, she said.
Recently, reports have surfaced that some urban areas in Greater Kansas City are receiving less vaccine than some suburban areas.
If individuals have access to health care, then her organization can have an effect on the health inequities they see in the African-American community, Robinson said.
Some vaccine hesitancy among minorities may be coming from past experiments that medical professionals conducted on them without the individuals’ consent.
Robinson said when they have a population with a deep distrust of the medical system, her organization has to make sure they give them knowledge and information to make those decisions for themselves. “Having that information is so critical,” she said.
The Black Health Care Coalition has been working for 32 years to get health care to people and to address health inequities, she said. The organization was begun by a group of African-American physicians who started a clinic to give back to the community.
Robinson discussed institutional racism, including in medical institutions, and described historical events that have caused mistrust, including medical experimentation on the Tuskegee airmen without their permission.
Bias also exists in medical classrooms, she said. Students have been taught that African-Americans do not experience as much pain as others.
“Often, physicians consider African-Americans are noncompliant,” Robinson said. “There is no such thing as a noncompliant patient, only a noncompatible treatment plan.”
More conversations are necessary between patients and medical providers, educating about individual risks, she said.
Efforts currently are being made to get more vaccine in neighborhoods, she said. This week, there was an announcement of a partnership with a pharmacy to hold a vaccination clinic at the Linwood YMCA, she said. Truman Medical Center also has been working to offer vaccinations at local churches, she said.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the KU Health System, said the Wyandotte County Health Department has been working with communities of color on the plans for vaccination. They have been reaching into shelters and also working with ministers to make sure everyone is represented.
The KU Health System has been assisting in the Johnson County Health Department vaccinations, and has been contacting people on the health system’s patient list who are in the vaccine priority groups.
Robinson said she was happy to see that safety net clinics are starting to get more vaccine.
She also said the group is looking at possibly placing vaccination sites at election sites to make sure everyone has access.
At a separate 4 p.m. news conference in Topeka, Gov. Laura Kelly said her administration is working with Kansas communities of color on access to information and vaccines.
She said the state is paying close attention to the balance of vaccine distribution to urban and rural areas, modifying it to make sure it is proportional to their size.
New vaccine closer to being approved
Gov. Kelly said a new analysis from the FDA showed the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine provides strong protection against severe illness and death. One of the main differences between it and the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is that Johnson and Johnson only requires one dose. It’s also easier to store, she said. It may open up opportunities to widely vaccinate the public, she said.
The FDA could authorize the new vaccine for emergency use as early as Saturday, and Kansas could begin receiving doses as early as next week, she said.
Dr. Stites said the news about Johnson and Johnson vaccine’s effectiveness was “great news, as good as we could have hoped for.” The FDA’s information about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is at https://www.fda.gov/media/146217/download.
Gov. Kelly said the number of other vaccine doses from the federal government to Kansas is increasing steadily. Next week, the state will receive about 125,000 Moderna and Pfizer doses, an increase from last week’s 115,000, she said. Additional vaccines are coming into pharmacies and to some safety net clinics next week, she added.
The governor issued an executive order on Wednesday authorizing more people to be able to administer the vaccines. The group includes pharmacy students, dentists, paramedics and other health care professions will be authorized to administer vaccines, she said. The group already administers other vaccines in their work, she added.
The governor also supported a Medicaid expansion bill introduced on Wednesday by Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, that would expand health care coverage in Kansas. The bill also establishes a regulatory framework to make Kansas the 48th state to legalize medical marijuana, she said.
“In the face of the worst public health crisis our country has seen in a century, I’m even more committed to delivering health care and jobs and support for our hospitals through Medicaid expansion,” Gov. Kelly said.
If legislators fail to pass the bill, billions of Kansas taxpayers’ dollars will go to other states to take care of their citizens, their hospitals and their economy, she said.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
Doctors at KU Health System reported a decrease in COVID-19 patients on Wednesday morning, and the hospital is only using one intensive care unit for COVID-19 patients for the first time in some months. The total number of COVID-19 active and recovering COVID-19 patients at the University of Kansas Health System was 60 on Wednesday, down 10 from Tuesday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 27 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease of six from Tuesday. Seven of those patients were in the intensive care unit, a decrease of four from Tuesday. Five of those were on ventilators, a decrease of one since Tuesday. There were another 33 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 who were out of the acute phase, a decrease of four since Tuesday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 14 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, Feb. 24, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 17,529 cases. There was a cumulative total of 265 deaths reported, the same number as Tuesday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 154,032 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 94. MARC also reported a delay in data verification from one of the nine counties, affecting data for cases, deaths and tests, but not for hospitalizations.
The state of Kansas reported 292,837 COVID-19 cases statewide on Wednesday, an increase of 1,122 cases since Monday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 81 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 4,724.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday night reported 28,334,981 cases in the United States, with 505,808 total deaths nationwide.
COVID-19 tests scheduled Thursday
Free COVID-19 tests will be offered from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the Vibrant Health Argentine location, 1428 S. 32nd St., Kansas City, Kansas. An appointment is not necessary.
Those who get tested at the Vibrant Health Clinic in Argentine will receive a free box of groceries, while supplies last. The COVID-19 test used will be the nasal swab PCR test. For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Pierson Community Center COVID-19 testing site at 831 S. 55th is open at 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. Appointments are required, check with the website, www.gogettested.com/Kansas, for appointments.
Unified Government COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Thursday. Those seeking vaccinations need to have an appointment, while those seeking COVID-19 testing may walk in and get a test kit.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open Thursday, Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are not needed for COVID-19 tests there on Thursday. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department is offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public. Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
Wyandotte County residents who are interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine may fill out a survey form at the UG Health Department at https://us.openforms.com/Form/2f2bcc68-3b6a-450b-9007-d39819db6572. Residents will be contacted to make an appointment when vaccine becomes available. The Health Department currently is vaccinating high-contact critical workers, as well as residents over 65.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order.
The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases in Wyandotte County. (From UG Health Department COVID-19 website)
“Is it over yet? “
Doctors at the University of Kansas Health System on Tuesday morning speculated a little bit on when it might be OK to get back to normal life, after COVID-19 recedes.
The doctors had some different ideas of when life could return to some semblance of normal.
Dr. Lee Norman, Kansas secretary of health, was a guest on the program and said it was a little over a year ago that they were talking about holding the Big 12 basketball tournament. But for this year, he thought that if the population can get to 50 to 60 percent vaccination rate, plus 12 percent who had some degree of natural immunity, they would start seeing more people gathering by the summertime.
The Kansas COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths have shown a dramatic drop over the past several weeks, according to Dr. Norman.
At what point do they relax the social distancing and mask wearing rules? He said he felt that with sunshine, Vitamin D, a mass uptake of vaccines, by the summer they should have more normalcy.
Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at the KU Health System, said he would bet on the fall, as he doesn’t think there will be large scale vaccinations until June.
Because COVID-19 is starting to wane now, there might be people who take their masks off, with another surge coming out as the weather warms up and there is not enough vaccine, he said. By August things should be turning around for the better, he added.
He’s looking forward to seeing some football games at Arrowhead Stadium, and possibly some Royals baseball games.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control at KU Health System, said it could go one of two ways. If new variants start to spread, it could lead to further shutdowns or lockdowns, but he hopes it doesn’t go that way. He said he’s more optimistic that people will be able to do more things because of mild immunity, vaccinations and mask wearing.
People will nudge back toward normalcy one way or the other, even though it may not be the safest thing to do, he said.
If vaccines by Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca and Novavax are approved, that could greatly increase the numbers who are vaccinated.
Dr. Norman said it will require wisdom to know when policies should be loosened, and they will need to consider the social psychology as well as public policy implications. Lockdowns are probably not needed and won’t be tolerated, he said.
“But we don’t want to fling the doors open and party like it’s 1999,” he added. They need to meet somewhere in the middle, he added. It will probably be July to September when they can be safe, he said.
Until then, people need to wear their masks and socially distance, according to the doctors.
COVID-19 case numbers reported
The total number of COVID-19 active and recovering COVID-19 patients at the University of Kansas Health System was 70 on Tuesday, down two from Monday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 33 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, a decrease of three from Monday. Eleven of those patients were in the intensive care unit, the same as Monday. Six of those were on ventilators, the same as Monday. There were another 37 patients hospitalized because of COVID-19 who were out of the acute phase, an increase of one since Monday.
Wyandotte County reported an increase of 21 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, Feb. 23, according to the Unified Government’s COVID-19 webpage. There were a cumulative 17,515 cases. There was a cumulative total of 265 deaths reported, an increase of two since Monday.
The Mid-America Regional Council’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 153,817 cumulative COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The daily average of new hospitalizations was 88. MARC also reported a delay in data verification from one of the nine counties, affecting data for cases, deaths and tests, but not for hospitalizations.
The state of Kansas reported 291,715 COVID-19 cases statewide on Monday, an increase of 883 cases since Friday, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. There were an additional 29 deaths reported, with a cumulative total of 4,643.
The Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard on Tuesday night reported 28,259,987 cases in the United States, with 502,660 total deaths nationwide.
COVID-19 tests scheduled Wednesday
The Pierson Community Center COVID-19 testing site at 831 S. 55th is open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. Appointments are required, check with the website, www.gogettested.com/Kansas, for appointments.
Unified Government COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites are scheduled to be open on Wednesday. Those seeking vaccinations need to have an appointment, while those seeking COVID-19 testing may walk in and get a test kit.
The Unified Government Health Department’s COVID-19 test site at the former Kmart building at 78th and State will be open Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are not needed for COVID-19 tests there on Wednesday. To see if there is any change to the schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/UGHealthDept.
The Health Department is offering saliva COVID-19 tests to the public. Tests from the Health Department are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.
The tests are open to asymptomatic people as well as those who have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19. Check with the UG Health Department’s Facebook page to see if there have been any changes in the schedule. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.
Wyandotte County residents who are interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine may fill out a survey form at the UG Health Department at https://us.openforms.com/Form/2f2bcc68-3b6a-450b-9007-d39819db6572. Residents will be contacted to make an appointment when vaccine becomes available. The Health Department currently is vaccinating high-contact critical workers, as well as residents over 65.
Cards and letters of encouragement for caregivers at KU Health System may be sent to Share Joy, care of Patient Relations, 4000 Cambridge St., Mailstop 1021, Kansas City, Kansas, 66160. Emails can be sent to [email protected].
Wyandotte County is under a mandatory mask and social distancing order.
