Tag: COVID-19

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment amended its travel quarantine list last week to include those who have traveled to North Dakota and the country of Andorra.

Kansas evaluates the previous two weeks’ case rates by 100,000 population for states and countries.

Locations with significantly higher rates – approximately 3x higher than Kansas – are added to the list. North Dakota has a two-week case rate 3.5 times higher than Kansas while Andorra’s rate is 4.9 times than Kansas.

This list is effective for all persons returning to or entering Kansas on the effective dates. A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine for 14 days includes visitors and Kansans who have:

• Travel to or from North Dakota on or after Oct. 21.
• Travel to or from the country of Andorra on or after Oct. 21.
• Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
• Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.

Travel quarantines do not prohibit travel through Kansas. People from these locations may still travel through Kansas. If this is done, KDHE recommends limited stops, wearing a mask at rest stops or when getting gas and being 6 feet from others when doing so. If the destination is Kansas, they would be required to quarantine upon arrival to their destination.

Mass gatherings are defined as any event or convening that brings together 500 or more persons in a single room or space at the same time such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, theater or any other confined indoor or outdoor space. This includes parades, fairs and festivals. Mass gatherings do not include normal operations of airports, bus and train stations, medical facilities, libraries, shopping malls and centers, or other spaces where 500 or more persons may be in transit. It also does not include typical office environments, schools, restaurants, factories or retail/grocery stores where large numbers of people are present, but it is unusual for them to be within 6 feet of one another for more than 10 minutes.

Critical infrastructure sector employees who have travelled to these destinations should contact their local health department regarding instructions for application of these quarantine orders while working. Critical infrastructure employees, such as public health, law enforcement and food supply workers, need to have the staffing resources to continue serving Kansans so the local health department may allow a modified quarantine. The only exemption for these quarantine mandates for critical infrastructure sector employees is work – they are not to go any other locations outside of work, according to KDHE.

Various states and cities have put Kansas residents on their quarantine lists, because of high Kansas COVID-19 rates.

For example, residents of Kansas who travel to Chicago have to quarantine for two weeks. Ohio, New York, Illinois and Connecticut, and some other states also are advising anyone coming from Kansas to self-quarantine for two weeks when entering the state. Before you leave on a trip, check with the state’s travel restrictions to see if a quarantine is required.

On Sunday, Wyandotte County reported an increase of 29 COVID-19 cases, for a cumulative total of 8,036, since Saturday, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage. There was no reported increase in the number of deaths, which was the same as Saturday, a total of 164. Deaths increased by two from Friday to Saturday.

Free COVID-19 testing available

A free COVID-19 pop-up test will continue from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at Oak Ridge Baptist Church, 9301 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas.

The pop-up test is through Vibrant Health and the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force.

The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.

The tests now 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 because of the weather or for other reasons. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.

For more information about the new testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.

The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The Unified Government COVID-19 hub outbreak map is at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.

To see an NEA list of schools that have had COVID-19 cases, visit https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=aa3f2ede7cb2415db943fdaf45866d2f.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the Midwest, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan said Friday that HHS will continue encouraging basic prevention efforts at the state and local levels.

He was confident that a vaccine and more advanced treatment would put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, and until then, they are bridging the gap with simple public health messages and with tracing to put an end to outbreaks as they arise.

He said HHS is working with state and local governments to encourage people to follow the three W’s – wearing a face covering, washing hands and watching your distance.

Hargan visited area health care providers on Friday, and spoke during an 11 a.m. news conference with the University of Kansas Health System.

Cases are going to continue to rise in different localities, and they have from the beginning when they saw tremendous outbreaks in New York and other areas, he said. During the past few months, cases rose in the South, and now there has been a strong movement of cases into the Midwest, he added.

Hargan said the Midwest has benefited from the tremendous amount of treatments and wisdom that has arisen from communities that previously experienced outbreaks.

They’re doing far better than in the beginning because not as much was known about it in the beginning, he added.

They also have achieved much in research and development since then. He hopes that because of the efforts of research and development teams and companies they are partnering with, they will soon see an end to the pandemic.

Hargan believes they are “rounding the corner” because of the improvements on the research and development side, along with the production of the vaccine.

There are currently four vaccines in Stage 3 of clinical trials, he said. Besides the vaccines, a cocktail of therapeutic drugs may be approved, he said. Approval recently was received for remdesivir, he said. Steroids and antibodies are other promising treatments, he said.

Hargan said while the HHS is encouraging mask wearing, the federal government has limited powers when it comes to mask mandates. HHS gives advice and shares data with state and local communities, which make the decisions, he said.

Hargan said they have actively recruited minorities to participate in vaccine trials. The CDC is currently working on a public information campaign, he added. They are engaging communities with messages about the success of people who have gone through the clinical trials, and the safety of the vaccines.

Two of the vaccines are approaching the emergency use authorization date. They will have to be sure they have a safe and effective vaccine, he said.

According to recent news reports, the Astra-Zeneca vaccine trial in the United States that had been paused has now been given permission to resume. KU Medical Center was one of the sites of the trial.

There is a great deal of encouragement from the data produced so far, he said.

The states recently turned in their plans to the CDC about how they will implement distribution of the vaccines. Also announced recently was a partnership with CVS and Walgreen to provide vaccines to nursing homes, he said. There is not a set time yet for the vaccines to start.

“We’ve been able to achieve so much against this disease even without having the vaccines yet,” Hargan said.

Wyandotte County on Friday afternoon reported 29 additional COVID-19 cases for a cumulative total of 7,984, with one additional death, for a cumulative 162, according to the Unified Government COVID-19 webpage.

The University of Kansas Health System on Friday morning reported a spike, with 36 COVID-19 acute inpatients, an increase from 30 on Thursday, 11 in the intensive care unit, an increase from nine on Thursday, and four on the ventilator, a decrease from six on Thursday, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were 33 additional COVID-19 patients in recovery in the hospital. At the HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, there were 15 COVID-19 inpatients, down one from Thursday, with four patients in recovery.

Kansas reported an increase of 1,774 COVID-19 cases on Friday, for a cumulative 76,230. There were 23 more COVID-19 deaths statewide, for a cumulative total of 975.

At the 8 a.m. Friday KU Health System news conference, Dr. David Wild, vice president of performance improvement at the KU Health System, said that COVID-19 hospital admissions were increasing. While hospitals are not flooded or overwhelmed currently, the hospitals could be if they get the usual number of flu patients this year.

The Midwest has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the nation, when adjusted for population, and Kansas and Missouri are just in back of North Dakota.

Wearing a mask and social distancing are very important in keeping the numbers from getting worse, according to the doctors.

Dr. Wild went over the regional case, hospitalization and death numbers. He noted that KU Health System experienced its highest number of deaths so far in the pandemic in October.

The KU Health System hospital was at 747 total patients on Friday, and although it is not overwhelmed, the numbers are not the norm, he said. The numbers are mostly from other patients, not COVID-19 patients. He said they have heard that hospitals are starting to become fuller around the metro area. As case numbers ri se, hospitalizations rise, and then deaths rise, he said.

Staffing can become an issue as the hospitals become fuller, he said.

The percentage of patients who are dying is lower, there are now healthier patients without underlying conditions, and younger patients now are dying, he said. The average age of patients who die has dropped from 72 to 63, he said.

Dr. Wild said he went to a restaurant recently to pick up a takeout order, and he saw a crowded restaurant and bar, without social distancing and no masks. Dr. Wild asked residents not to let their guards down this weekend, but to keep practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands.

The things that work, including masks and distancing, are critical now, said Lance Williamson, RN, from infection prevention and control,

For more information about the new testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/2784620095149508.

The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The Unified Government COVID-19 hub outbreak map is at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.

To see an NEA list of schools that have had COVID-19 cases, visit https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=aa3f2ede7cb2415db943fdaf45866d2f.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Statistics show that Wyandotte County has case rates that are twice as high as surrounding areas, according to Juliann Van Liew, director of the Unified Government Health Department.

For instance, the case rate for Wyandotte County was over 4,800 per 100,000, quite a bit higher than Johnson County’s 2,234, Kansas City, Missouri’s 2,865 and Kansas’ 2,509 per 100,000. Deaths per 100,000 in Wyandotte County also are significantly higher than surrounding areas, she said.

Wyandotte County has a much higher case rate and death rate than surrounding counties when the figures are looked at per 100,000, according to Van Liew, who spoke at Commissioner Harold Johnson’s 4th District Town Hall meeting online at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

There are many persons here who don’t understand why Wyandotte County has different rules than some surrounding communities, she said.

“We are very invested in ensuring our community is wearing masks, sticking to those gathering limits, staying social-distanced, and we do have some health orders that are stricter than other counties,” Van Liew said. “We are starting from a different situation here in Wyandotte.”

The reason they have these health orders is because they have more of a vulnerable population and are experiencing a disproportionate amount of COVID-19 in the community, she said.

Behaviors really matter, Van Liew said. The community brought the curve down in Phase 2, but some time after moving into Phase 3, the case numbers went up again.

The community worked hard to bring that number down, she said.

“The behaviors that we implement in our daily life matter, and they show up in the numbers, and in how many folks end up in the hospital and unfortunately, pass away or survive in our community,” Van Liew said.

The UG Health Department needs to get back to its regular services at the 6th and Ann location, she said. Now testing has been moved to the former Kmart location at 78th and State, starting this past Monday. That allows regular services to resume at the Health Department at 6th and Ann.

They have tested about 150 to 200 persons a day at the new location at 78th and State, she said. They have the capacity to test 300 to 400 persons a day. It is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The old Kmart location also will allow the Health Department to be protected from the elements and to test during the winter inside.

The tests are free for people who live or work in Wyandotte County, she said. Those with symptoms and those without symptoms can be tested.

In the next few weeks, the Health Department will add free flu shots at the Kmart site at 78th and State, she said.

For a long time, the Health Department was behind on contact tracing, but it expanded the contact tracing staff to about 20 people full-time and are on top of the contact tracing, she said.

There are health disparities with COVID-19 in Wyandotte County. The statistics showed higher rates among Asian-Americans than others. Also, Hispanic rates were three times higher that of non-Hispanic case rates. That may be due to front-line workers who cannot work from home, in part.

The Health Equity Task Force launched in April brought partners together from different race, ethnic groups and social agencies to test a large number of people, she said. It brings testing to the people, so they don’t have to go to a government building for a test, she said. They have held nearly 100 tests so far.

Van Liew urged people to wear a mask, socially distance, get tested, get a flu shot, give blood, celebrate Halloween and other holidays safely, consider restricting holiday travel and gatherings and support a proposed ban on flavor tobacco. Those who use tobacco are five to seven times more likely to contract COVID-19, experience an intense form of it and die, she said.

She thanked residents for their sacrifices in their everyday lives to help reduce COVID-19.

Wyandotte County reported a cumulative 7,955 COVID-19 cases on Thursday afternoon, an increase of 37, and there were an additional six deaths, for a cumulative total of 161.

The University of Kansas Health System reported 30 active COVID-19 patients in the hospital, nine in the intensive care unit and six on ventilators on Thursday morning, according to Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection prevention and control. There were another 30 in the recovery period. At HaysMed in Hays, Kansas, there were 16 COVID-19 patients, with 13 active and three in recovery, he said.

Doctors were concerned that there were 20 deaths there already in October, the most deaths of any month so far in the pandemic.

At the KU Health System news conference Thursday morning, a Health Department spokesman, Janell Friesen, said that it appeared that Wyandotte County case numbers were averaging 40 or so a day, compared to about 30 a day last month. They had been at 14 to 15 percent community spread, and now are at 16.9 percent community spread, she said.

Friesen encouraged residents to celebrate Halloween in a safe way, such as holding a virtual costume contest, or going to a drive-through event. Everyone should wear a mask, not just the costume kind, but the COVID-19 kind of mask, she said, and keep 6 feet between people. She said the Health Department has more guidelines for Halloween safety.

She also urged people to vote early. If possible, people can request a mail-in ballot before Oct. 27, fill it out and then mail it or drop it off at the Election Office or at ballot drop boxes, she said.

If voting in person, residents can do advance voting early, socially distance, wear masks and use hand sanitizer. Voting early is a good idea.

“Things can come up,” she noted. People could be exposed to COVID-19 or could be sick, or they might be in quarantine on Election Day. “Vote now to make sure your vote is counted,” she said.

Mariana Ramirez-Mantilia, director of Juntos Center for Advancing Latino Health Department of Population Health, said they have been working closely on the Health Equity Task Force and with community leaders.

Several local organizations came together to bring testing availability to the community, she said.

They have tested more than 4,000 people through pop-up testing, she said, with locations including churches, community centers, libraries and schools. The positive rate has been as high as 40 percent at those events, she added.

Recently, the testing rates have been lower than previously, she said.

“We’ve seen the lack of support for those who test positive and do not have access to sick leave,” she said. The Latino community is heavily represented in the service sector, construction, food service and custodians, she added.

Some of the workers do not have access to health insurance and health care, she said.

Also, some are in multi-generational family households, and if a young child brings COVID-19 home, a grandmother or grandfather could be exposed to it.

They are working to identify more resources for the community, she said. They also have been working to provide health messages in Spanish.

At the KU Health System news conference, doctors also discussed a new report on close contact from a CDC publication. The guidance is changing from limiting exposure for 15 minutes at one time, to a cumulative time of 15 minutes in smaller segments during a day to a person who has COVID-19.

The study came from the case of a prison staff member who did not have any contact longer than 10 minutes with people who had COVID-19, but got it anyway. A lot depends on if the person with COVID-19 is in the time when he is most infectious, according to Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System.

Dr. Hawkinson said masking and physical distancing could help prevent COVID-19.

Free COVID-19 testing available

The Unified Government Health Department has moved its COVID-19 testing from the 6th and Ann location to the former Kmart at 78th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tests are free for those who live or work in Wyandotte County.

The tests now 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 because of the weather or for other reasons. Bring something that shows that you live or work in Wyandotte County, such as a utility bill.

For more information about the new testing site at the former Kmart location, visit https://alpha.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/health/documents/covid/10092020_newtestingsitewyco.pdf.

Commissioner Harold Johnson’s Town Hall meeting is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cityofkck/videos/649342055692564

The KU doctors’ news conference is at https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/375893720439267/.

The UG COVID-19 webpage is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.

The KDHE’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/.

The Unified Government COVID-19 hub outbreak map is at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/.

To see an NEA list of schools that have had COVID-19 cases, visit https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=aa3f2ede7cb2415db943fdaf45866d2f.

The KC Region COVID-19 Hub dashboard is at https://marc2.org/covidhub/.

The CDC’s COVID-19 webpage is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.