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

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Updated Regularly: What Kansans Need To Know About The COVID-19 Coronavirus

CASES AND DEATHS

170 cases, including two from out of state (see map for counties)

3 deaths (2 in Wyandotte County; 1 in Johnson County)

NOTE: These figures only include cases confirmed with lab tests and do not represent the real, unknown total. Community transmission of the disease has been confirmed in Johnson County, which has also scaled back testing.

COUNTYWIDE ORDERS TO STAY HOME

Stay-at-home orders allow people to take care of essential activities (such as grocery shopping or going to work), but otherwise keep to themselves. The following counties are under such orders; click through for detailed information.

Through April 6: Doniphan

Through April 22: Johnson, Wyandotte (and neighboring Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri)

Through April 23: Douglas (starts March 26), Leavenworth, Sedgwick, Miami

Through April 25: Atchison, Franklin (starts March 26)

Through April 26: Shawnee (starts March 26)

Until further notice: Crawford, Dickinson

Other counties in Kansas don’t have stay-at-home orders but are still under Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people.

KCUR - https://bit.ly/2UnnZwk

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COVID-19 cases double at University of Kansas Health System

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In the past 24 hours, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have doubled at the University of Kansas Health System.

On Wednesday, the hospital was caring for eight patients sickened by the virus. By Thursday morning, staff were caring for 16 patients, half of whom are on ventilators.

Dr. Steven Stites, chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said now is the time to flatten the curve.

"We are on the front end of the surge," Stites said. "Stay home. We can bend the curve."

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Roughly 2 million people live in the Kansas City metro.

Stites wants to minimize the spread of COVID-19 to 10% or less.

"But if 50% get it, gosh, that's a million (people)," Stites said. "That's a lot. That will be somebody you know."

But it doesn't have to be. Since viruses are passed from person to person, social distancing has proven to be effective when it comes to killing viruses.

In New Rochelle, New York, cases of COVID-19 have slowed down. In a two-week time period, the city had an increase of about 100 new cases of the virus.

"If you did doubling every three days, which is the mathematical model for the rapid spread of this disease, they should be over 1,000 (cases)," Stites said. "The reason they only went from 100 to 200 is because shelter-at-home works."

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director of infection control at the University of Kansas Health System, suggests people go outside, but keep at least six feet of distance from others.

"I think we are in the very early stages of this. If there's any chance that we can flatten the curve and slow the spread, we need to continue to do that," Hawkinson said. "We need to continue to have the social distancing. It's difficult for people because this also brings in other problems such as depression, anxiety. Try to get outside, try to exercise or walk. Get good nutrition, get adequate sleep. "

Hawkinson and Stites said the hospital is ready to fight the surge of cases. However, they both agree that if people across the metro shelter-at-home, the virus can be contained.

"That's what's going on in New Rochelle, they bent the curve. It's remarkable how much lower it is, and their density is a lot higher than ours," Stites said. "We can do this. We can bend the curve. We don't want to be New York City, we want to be KC."


KSHB TV - https://bit.ly/3dxro3l

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COVID-19 pandemic leads to uncertainty for cattle producers

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) While beef may seem to be flying off the shelf at your local grocery store, the money cattle producers are making doesn't reflect the apparent demand.

With the economic blow to many industries due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) and efforts to slow the spread, beef producers re wondering if they should sell their cattle for low prices now or wait, and hope those prices go back up.

Uncertainty comes for cattle operations across Kansas and nationwide, including Tiffany's Cattle near Herrington, Uncertainty about the coronavirus tanked beef prices across the U.S., but as situations at grocery stores shows, the demand is definitely there, at least for now.

Shawn Tiffany with Tiffany's Cattle says future demand is still uncertain. This leaves producers with tough decisions on when to sell their cattle.

Considerations with cattle include costs for their care.

"We still have to take care of the well-being of these animals," Tiffany says.

He points out feeding them costs more money.

"We've been having to work with customers on managing their risk and, 'how do we navigate this from a financial standpoint?" Tiffany says. "And working with packers to get fair prices."
Tiffany says agriculture is a resilient industry, but for many, the near future doesn't look bright.

"There's going to be a lot of agriculture professionals that are no longer in business because of the financial hit that this brings about," he says.

But he says he'll continue to work through this pandemic so people can continue to put beef on their plates.


KWCH TV (Wichita) - https://bit.ly/2wxwJaq

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First positive COVID-19 case identified in Ottawa County

OTTAWA COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) – The Ottawa County Health Department announced the first positive case of COVID-19 in the county Thursday.

The Ottawa County Health Department said the individual in the positive COVID-19 case is currently in home isolation and is stable.

The Ottawa County Health Department has identified all contacts with this individual and will monitor for fever and respiratory symptoms.


KSN TV (Wichita) - https://bit.ly/2ydqNDV

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Gove County in northwest Kansas reports its first COVID-19

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -

The Gove County Health Department in Quinter, Kansas has announced its first case of COVID-19.

The case involves a young, healthy female who traveled out-of-state recently. The health department is actively 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.

KAKE TV (Wichita) - https://bit.ly/2JgODAG

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KS Health Dept:

https://kdhe.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/05f4169dc6394aa98895072b94734134

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Jefferson County issues a stay-at-home order

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) — Jefferson County emergency management officials are issuing a stay-at-home order starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, March 28.

This order will last until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

Jefferson County Emergency Management officials said this is to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The county’s health officer, Crystal VanHoutan, R.N., B.S.N. issued the order which closes certain additional businesses, pursuant to the previous order which limited mass gatherings to a total of ten people and does not allow for dine-in seating at restaurants, dining facilities, bars, taverns or any other facility that serves food or beverages for onsite consumption.


KSNT TV (Topeka) - https://bit.ly/2UnzR1r

An Emergency Order and Advisory of the Jefferson County Health Officer

Jefferson County Site - https://bit.ly/2UFdLGD

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DEATHS - 4 (3 Wyandotte County, 1 Johnson County)

Health officials confirm third COVID-19 death in Wyandotte County

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A third person has now died in Wyandotte County of COVID-19. The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas Public Health Department confirmed the news Friday morning.

Health officials have not released the victim’s age, date the virus was confirmed or details about how they contracted it. FOX4 will update this story with that information as soon as it is confirmed.

In addition to this patient, two men in theirs 70s have died of the virus.

FOX4 TV (Kansas City) - https://bit.ly/2y4Z3kD

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COVID-19 Coronavirus Cases in McPherson, Ottawa Counties

Confirmed COVID-19 Coronavirus cases are beginning to appear in Central Kansas. Cases have now been confirmed in McPherson and Ottawa Counties.

According to the McPherson County Health Department the patient in their county is a woman over the age of 70 who recently traveled on a cruise ship. The patient is recovering in isolation at home.

The Ottawa County Health Department released few details about the patient in their county> They said “the individual is maintaining in-home isolation and is stable”.

As of Thursday evening Saline County had not had a confirmed positive case of COVID-19.


KSAL.com (Salina, KS) - https://bit.ly/2Unaayd

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American Eagle employee tested positive for coronavirus, marking Franklin County’s second confirmed case

The Franklin County Public Health Department has identified Franklin County’s second positive COVID-19 case. The individual is an employee at American Eagle Outfitters Distribution Center (AEO DC) in Ottawa.

The health department is in the process of investigating the case, determining the number of close contacts that this individual has made in the last 14 days, officials said in a release. As a precaution, AEO DC employees have been sent home while a thorough investigation takes place.


The Ottawa Herald (Franklin County, KS) - https://bit.ly/2UEDBe1

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...The new totals from Johnson County should push the Kansas state total over 180 cases of COVID-19.
https://www.kmbc.com/article/covid-1...ansas/31927086


https://kdhe.maps.arcgis.com/apps/op...95072b94734134

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Even 40% Of Kansans Getting COVID-19 In Six Months Would Overwhelm State's HospitalsDr. Joe Meier’s hospital in Wilson County has 15 beds, no intensive care unit and one ventilator. Two of his neighboring counties in southeast Kansas have no hospital at all, and another two have no ICU either.

So Meier has a plea to the residents of his region: Stay home.

"It's not a matter of 'if' (COVID-19) is going to hit here,' he said. "It’s a matter of when."

Harvard University researchers looked at nine scenarios for how many Americans could catch COVID-19, and how fast. Kansas, it turned out, could only handle the milder scenarios. More moderate or severe situations would overload the state’s hospitals without dramatic steps — such as clearing hospitals of other patients and convincing the public to shelter in place.

As of Thursday afternoon, Kansas had 170 confirmed cases of COVID-19, though the true number of people carrying the bug is unknown. State officials expect to see cases double every three or four days.

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“If Wichita becomes full and Topeka becomes full and Kansas City is full,” Meier said. “we're going to have to take care of them whether we have ICU beds or not.”
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Harvard’s scenarios took into account likely hospitalization rates and how full hospitals already were.

Health care facilities in the Kansas City metro and surrounding areas that depend on it — what’s known as a hospital referral region — could handle only the mildest of Harvard’s scenarios.

That’s a situation in which the disease hits 20% of the 2.6 million people over the next year-and-a-half. Anything beyond that, and the region’s hospitals would overflow.

The vast Wichita referral region (population 1.3 million, including west and southeast Kansas) could handle up to a 40% infection rate over a year-and-a-half. The Topeka referral region (population 460,000) could handle a 20% infection rate over a year or year-and-a-half.

KCUR (PBS Station in Kansas City area) - https://bit.ly/2UoDww2

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Johnson County moves all court hearings, including emergencies, to video or phone

Johnson County District Court on Monday will start holding all hearings remotely in a continued effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, according to a news release issued Friday.

The Kansas Supreme Court canceled all but emergency hearings last week. The Johnson County order goes one step further moving even emergency hearings to video or phone.

Only a judge and administrative assistant will be allowed into the courtrooms, the release said.

Kansas City Star - https://bit.ly/2wKpKe2

[Shiloh]

202 cases; 4 deaths: https://kdhe.maps.arcgis.com/apps/op...c597a516eee5d0

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KDHE Report

Total Positive cases 202
Private labs 135
KHEL (Kansas Health and Environmental Lab) 67
Deaths 4
Ou of state resident positive cases 2
Total negative cases for kansas 3229

Female 97
Male 105

Age Range: 7 to 909 with a median age of 53
hospitalized 27

County Numbers

Bourbon - 3
Butler - 3
Cherokee - 2
Clay - 1
Coffey - 1
Crawford - 3
Doniphan - 1
Douglas - 14
Franklin - 2
Gove - 1
Harvey - 1
Jackson - 1
Jefferson - 1
Johnson - 66
Leavenworth - 12
Linn - 4
Lyon - 3
McPherson - 1
Mithcell - 2
Morris - 2
Neosho - 1
Osage - 1
Ottawa - 1
Pottawatomie - 1
Reno - 5
Riley - 2
Sedgwick - 20
Shawnee - 5
Sumner - 1
Woodson - 1
Wyantotte - 43

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KDHE Document - https://bit.ly/3dyyPHr

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First COVID-19 case confirmed in Osage County

LYNDON, Kan. (WIBW) The Osage County Health Department announced the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Osage County on Friday, March 27.

Testing sent to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s laboratory identified the positive case.

The case involves a 48-year-old female Osage County resident. Her name has not been released.

WIBW TV (Topeka) - https://bit.ly/3buctoF

Osage County issues stay at home order over coronavirus

OSAGE COUNTY, Kan. (KSNT) – Osage County has joined the ranks Thursday morning of other parts of Kansas issuing stay at home orders due to coronavirus.

Osage County doesn’t have any positive coronavirus cases, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the order restricts residents to only leave their homes for “essential activities.”

KSNT TV (Topeka) - https://bit.ly/2WLtdUw