Kansas: Covid-19 cases - 46,002 cases; 481 deaths

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Confirmed COVID-19 case at Wichita work release facility

Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced today that one resident at Wichita Work Release Facility (WWRF) tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, April 12. This is the second KDOC facility with a confirmed case, with the first cases reported at the Lansing Correction Facility.

The resident at WWRF was a male over the age of 40. In order to protect the identity of this resident, no other information will be released.

The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps were implemented:

WWRF has two open dormitory housing units. The 113 residents from the unit where the man tested positive were moved Sunday night to the newly reconstructed building at Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) for medical isolation and monitoring

KDHE conducted contact tracing to ascertain who among our staff and residents have been in close contact with this individual

Sedgwick County Health Department conducted contact tracing to identify anyone outside of WWRF who may have been in close contact with this individual and will notify those persons

KDOC will remain diligent in monitoring other staff and residents for symptoms

“The newly reconstructed building at Lansing provides us the ability to isolate these residents, while also keeping them separate from the current residents of the old Lansing facility,” Zmuda said. “Moving this number of people on short notice is a major undertaking, our staff did a great job last night.”

The Wichita Work Release Facility, a satellite unit of the Winfield Correctional Facility, is an all-male, minimum-custody state prison with a population of 248 prior to this move.

Hiawatha World - https://www.hiawathaworldonline.com/...1a4dee56d.html

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First county COVID death announced

Harvey County Health Department Director Lynnette Redington provides an update on today’s information announcing the death of a Harvey County resident that was determined to be probable for COVID-19.

Harvey County Health Department (on Facebook) - https://bit.ly/34FSm4Y

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First case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) identified in Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Kansas – HAMILTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT is announcing the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Hamilton County. Testing sent to a private Kansas Laboratory identified the positive case.

The case involves a male, in the 10 to 19 age range, with no travel history. Hamilton County Health Department is working to identify any close contacts of the individual and those who were exposed will be contacted as soon as possible. We will be monitoring these contacts for fever and respiratory symptoms. No further information about the patient will be released. Investigation is ongoing.

Western Kansas News (https://bit.ly/2yZonJt)

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KDHE Update
April 14, 2020
5:30 pm

Cases, 1,426
Hospitalizations: 327
Statewide Deaths: 69

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First COVID-19 case confirmed in county

The first case of the COVID-19 virus in Dickinson County was confirmed today by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The case in Dickinson County is a 59-year-old female with a recent known exposure. The individual is currently maintaining in-home isolation and is stable, according to John Hultgren, director of the Dickinson County Health Department.

The Dickinson County Health Department has identified all contacts and will monitor for fever and respiratory symptoms.

Abilene-RC - https://bit.ly/2xmUdzs

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Second Saline County resident dies from COVID-19

A second Saline County resident has died after testing positive for COVID-19.

In Monday’s release from the Saline County Health Department, information about the deceased patient was not released.

“We are saddened by this news and extend our condolences to the family and friends for their loss,” the department said in the release.

The Saline County Health Department also was notified about an additional positive coronavirus case and said it is working closely with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment after KDHE discovered an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at a Salina facility.

The county declined to reveal the facility with a coronavirus outbreak but said the health department has contacted all facility employees who were at risk for exposure.

The new confirmed positive, Saline County’s 10th, is a woman in her 60s who is known to have been in close contact with someone who is isolated at home.

Salina Journal (Salina, KS) - https://bit.ly/34CohmE

[Ronan Kelly]

COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus ) Quick Stats
(Preliminary Numbers, Subject to Change)
Updated 4/14/2020
1 | P a g e
For more information, visit www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
 There were 1,426 cases from 62 counties with 69 deaths reported as of 11
a.m.
 There have been 327 of 1,145 cases that have been hospitalized.
 There have been 12,721 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private
labs.
 Age range is 0 years to 99 years (median 53 years)
 There have been 334 tests at KHEL and 1,092 at private labs.
 772 cases are female and 648 are male and 6 unknown.
...
https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/D...update-numbers

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Reno County reports 14th confirmed COVID-19 case

As of 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Reno County now has registered 14 positive cases of COVID-19.

The newest positive case is a woman in her 60′s with an unknown source of exposure, which indicates continued communal spread, according to a Reno County Health Department release.

She is in home isolation per guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The count includes a Ford County transfer, so local confirmed cases are now at 13. Four of those have recovered.

One person confirmed as positive remains in the hospital, though hospital officials said a second person with suspected COVID awaiting confirmation testing is in isolation at the facilty.

Health Department Director Nick Baldetti also reported that the number of suspected cases identified through self-reporting forms has grown to 10.

Baldetti said the county has received 77 self-report forms, of which 60 provided contact information to allow health officials further vet them.

Some of those cases, Baldetti said, have been sent for testing.

Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, KS) - https://bit.ly/34AINUR

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Four COVID-19 cases now reported in Miami County

The fourth case of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been reported in Miami County, but health department officials say the person currently is residing in a state in the northeast part of the country.

Updated numbers were reported in a release by the Miami County Health Department on Monday, April 13.

The newest case is listed as an individual in their 20s who identifies as a permanent resident of Miami County but is temporarily residing in another state with known community spread, and no Kansas residents have been identified as a close contact, according to the report.

The other three reported cases include two people in their 60s and a person in their 70s. There are only three active cases, as one of the residents has already recovered. A total of 126 Miami County residents have been tested, according to the report.

Sources of transmission were also detailed in Monday’s report. Two of the cases are the result of residents coming into contact with someone with a known case of COVID-19, and one is travel related. The newest case is listed as local transmission, but that local transmission occurred in the state in the northeast part of the country where the person is residing, said Christena Beer, a disease investigator at the Miami County Health Department.

She clarified that local transmission has not been announced in Miami County, and it won’t immediately be declared if a case comes up without a known source.

“There has to be a certain percentage of those cases,” Beer said.

Statewide, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported Monday, April 13, that Kansas has had 1,376 COVID-19 cases which have resulted in 309 hospitalizations and 62 deaths.

There have been 12,488 negative tests conducted at KDHE and private labs.

KDHE reports 741 cases are female and 629 are male. The oldest person with the virus in Kansas is 99, and the median age for the state’s cases is 54, according to the report.

Cases have been recorded in 61 counties, according to KDHE. Wyandotte County has the most cases at 337, followed by Johnson County, 309, and Sedgwick County, 200.

Miami County Republic - https://bit.ly/3b85KBi

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Kansas hospital closes under pressure from COVID-19

Pinnacle Regional Hospital in Overland Park, Kan., and its affiliated clinics have closed, according to KCUR.

Pinnacle Regional, formerly known as Blue Valley Hospital, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. On April 10, the bankruptcy trustee told hospital employees that Pinnacle Regional was closing due to "unforeseen and unexpected business circumstances, including the disruption to a wide range of surgeries and business operations created by the COVID-19 pandemic," according to KCUR.

The hospital's six satellite clinics in Kansas and Missouri also shut down. More than 100 employees will be laid off over the next few weeks due to the hospital and clinic closures, according to the report.

Pinnacle Regional is owned by Overland Park-based Pinnacle Healthcare. The company closed its other hospital in Boonville, Mo., in January.

Becker's Hospital CFO Report - https://bit.ly/2yfpTqm

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Inmates moved after COVID-19 confirmed at second Kansas facility

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials announced Monday that 113 inmates at a work-release facility have been relocated after a resident tested positive for COVID-19 amid a fight to control an outbreak at another facility.

The Kansas Department of Corrections said the inmates who were relocated Sunday night lived in the same housing unit as the infected resident at the Wichita Work Release Facility.

They were moved to a newly reconstructed building at the Lansing Correctional Facility, which is battling its own outbreak with 18 inmates and 21 staff testing positive.

KSN.com (Wichita, KS) - https://bit.ly/2Vv7qhn

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Cargill takes precautions in light of COVID-19 cases at Dodge City plant

DODGE CITY, Kan. (KWCH) Recent COVID-19 cases in Kansas include employees at Cargill's meat-packing plant in Dodge City. The company did not specify how many employees tested positive for the virus, but as of Monday (April 13) the KDHE reports 16 confirmed cases in Ford County.

In confirming the cases, Cargill Media Relations Director Daniel Sullivan says "the employee is receiving appropriate medical care," but due to privacy laws, could not share further information.

“Our priority is limiting the spread of the virus where we can, and we are working with local health officials to ensure appropriate prevention, testing, cleaning and quarantine protocols are followed," Sullivan says.

He says Cargill will also continue enforcing mandatory 14-day quarantines for any employees potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Sullivan says the company's precautions against the virus include temperature testing of employees, encouraging the use of face masks, prohibiting visitors from entering the facilities, stopping air travel (domestic and international) offering shift flexibility, staggering breaks, increasing spacing in work areas and waiving co-pays for any employees who get tested for COVID-19.

KWCH - https://bit.ly/2RE4ZIn

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Five COVID-19 clusters identified in Sedgwick County

SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. (Release) Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) is investigating a cluster of cases at a long-term care facility. This brings the number of COVID-19 clusters in Sedgwick County to five – three churches, one business, and one long-term care facility.

Clusters are two or more non-household COVID-19 cases identified in a certain timeframe and place. Due to privacy laws and concerns, the locations of the clusters are not identified by SCHD unless there is a risk to the public.

As of noon on Tuesday, there are 206 positive cases of COVID-19 in Sedgwick County, 83 recoveries and three deaths.

As with all diseases, Sedgwick County investigates reports of COVID-19 in facilities. If a case is identified in a long-term care facility, Sedgwick County recommends that the facility isolate any symptomatic people away from other residents. The facility monitors all residents and staff for symptoms. They should not allow visitors into the facility and should cancel any group activities, although most facilities have already done both due to the pandemic. Sedgwick County works with the facility to ensure all close contacts are identified and are properly quarantined or isolated.

The Health Department is currently taking samples of residents who meet the criteria to be tested for COVID-19. If residents have general questions about COVID-19 or if they think they need to be tested for it, they should call United Way of the Plains at 211.

KWCH - https://bit.ly/3bcvTif

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3 new COVID-19 cases in Coffey Co, including one teen

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- The Coffey County Health Department announced three new cases of COVID-19, including a 17-year-old.

The County also reported four new recoveries from the Life Care Center in Burlington, bringing the county's total recoveries to 13. There have also been two new deaths associated with the Life Care Center outbreak, bringing the total deaths from the outbreak to three.

According to the CDC, a person is deemed recovered from COVID-19 after 7 days from the onset of symptoms, or 72 hours after fever is gone and symptoms have significantly improved.

The three new cases in the county are a 59-year-old woman, a 59-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl.


WIBW (Topeka, KS) - https://bit.ly/2K9l1FO

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Governor Kelly, KDHE recommend face masks for Kansans

TOPEKA, Kan. (KWCH) --- Governor Laura Kelly says she recommends all Kansans wear face masks while out in public.

She posted a brief message on her official Facebook page Tuesday morning, saying new evidence suggests some people without COVID-19 symptoms can transmit the virus before getting sick.

Because of that, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment recommends Kansans use cloth face coverings while in public.

The guideline is in line with recent recommendations from the CDC.

You can find a guide to making your own mask at home here: Make Your Own Mask.

WIBW (Topeka, KS) - https://bit.ly/2VsRWL5