The City of Fort Scott Administration Offices will be closed on Friday, July 3rd, 2020 in observance of the Independence Day holiday. The offices will reopen on Monday, July 6th, 2020.
The City’s tree and brush dump will also be closed on Saturday, July 4th, 2020. It will reopen on Tuesday, July 7th, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Governor Laura Kelly Deploys Mobile Testing Unit to Assist Communities
with COVID-19 Testing for Underserved Populations
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) deployed a Mobile Testing Unit to assist communities with COVID-19 testing for underserved populations.
“In order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and safely reopen Kansas, our public health experts must be able to track the scale and scope of this virus,” Governor Kelly said. “Working with local communities and public health officials, this mobile unit helps us reach the vulnerable populations that are experiencing barriers to testing access.”
KDHE is working with local health departments and other health organizations to identify locations throughout Kansas which would benefit from this service. The Mobile Testing Unit is a van outfitted with COVID-19 laboratory-sampling equipment that can travel to locations and areas as requested. Currently, the Mobile Testing Unit is tentatively scheduled through mid-July. It will make its first appearance in conjunction with an Advent Health/Mercy and Truth Medical Missions event in Wyandotte County on June 27. For information regarding that event or future events, please reach out to the organizing entity.
“We recognize there are disparities with COVID-19 testing,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary. “Part of our testing strategy in Kansas is to alleviate the barriers to getting tested.”
The lab testing is provided at no cost to any individual seeking testing. There is also no cost to the community. The test being performed is a diagnostic test, meaning it will say if the individual currently has COVID-19. The Mobile Testing Unit will collect the samples while at each site and then send them to the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories for processing. Results will be available to individuals in approximately 1-2 days through the partnering local health department or health organization.
If you are interested in having the Mobile Testing Unit in your community, KDHE encourages people to coordinate with their local health departments or also reach out to our [email protected].
Photos below:
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SEK Multi-County Health Departments
Bourbon County, Kansas
PRESS RELEASE:
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19
June 25, 2020;
It is the recommendation of the Bourbon County Health Officer, that if you were served at Common Ground Coffee Company (12 E. Wall, Fort Scott, KS) on the dates of June 15th (between 7:00am-3:00pm) June 16th (between 7:00am-9:30pm), June 17th (between 6:30am-3:00pm), June 18th (between 7:00am-3:00pm), and June 19th (between 5:00-9:00pm), to please quarantine yourself in your home and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
Johnson asked that this update be added:
“It is recommended that if you were served on any of these dates listed you quarantine for 14 days since your exposure date (date you were last served-from dates listed).”
Symptoms are:
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. This list does not include all possible symptoms.
For more information you may call the SEK Multi-County Health Department: Bourbon: (620)223-4464 Monday-Thursday 7:00am-5:30pm OR the COVID-19 Hotline: (866)534-3463.You may also visit the COVID-19 Resource Center at: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/OR Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments on Facebook or our website: www.sekmchd.com for local updates.
KDHE shares steps to protect health amid potential
air quality impacts from Sahara Dust
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) wants to alert Kansans to a potential air quality impact from Saharan dust. The Saharan dust comes from the Sahara Desert in Africa, where storms can lift the dust into the atmosphere. Dust is picked up by trade winds and carried thousands of miles across the Atlantic and eventually to the U.S. The particulate matter from this event has the potential to impact Kansas.
Editors note, here is a National Public Radio story on the dust:
Particulate matter can cause health problems, even in healthy individuals. Common health problems include burning eyes, runny nose, coughing and illnesses such as bronchitis. Individuals with respiratory issues, pre-existing heart or lung diseases, children and elderly may experience worse symptoms.
Steps to protect your health on days when particulate matter is present in your community include:
SEK Multi-County Health Departments
Bourbon County, Kansas
PRESS RELEASE:
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19
June 25, 2020;
It is the recommendation of the Bourbon County Health Officer, that if you were served at Common Ground Coffee Company (12 E. Wall, Fort Scott, KS) on the dates of June 15th (between 7:00am-3:00pm) June 16th (between 7:00am-9:30pm), June 17th (between 6:30am-3:00pm), June 18th (between 7:00am-3:00pm), and June 19th (between 5:00-9:00pm), to please quarantine yourself in your home and monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
Johnson asked that this correction be added:
“It is recommended that if you were served on any of these dates listed you quarantine for 14 days since your exposure date (date you were last served-from dates listed).”
Symptoms are:
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. This list does not include all possible symptoms.
For more information you may call the SEK Multi-County Health Department: Bourbon: (620)223-4464 Monday-Thursday 7:00am-5:30pm OR the COVID-19 Hotline: (866)534-3463.You may also visit the COVID-19 Resource Center at: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/OR Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments on Facebook or our website: www.sekmchd.com for local updates.
The Street Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, July 2nd, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street.
The Street Advisory Board meeting will not be open to the public at this time due to the limited number allowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Kelly Administration Announces Enhancements to Hero Relief Program
Revenue replacement and health care/emergency support worker bonuses provide additional support to child care providers
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly, Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard and Child Care Aware of Kansas today announced additional benefits within the Hero Relief Program to continue to support child care providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unexpected challenges for many Kansas families and businesses, and our child care providers were among the hardest hit,” Governor Kelly said. “These resources will help offset lost income, and will make sure our families have access to high-quality child care programs as we get Kansans back to work and back to school.”
Providers will now be eligible for Revenue Replacement and Health Care and Emergency Worker Support bonuses. The funding for these opportunities is provided by the Kansas Department for Children and Families through the federal CARES Act and is administered by Child Care Aware of Kansas.
“We know the pandemic continues to have significant impact on the child care community,” Howard said. “These new benefits will provide additional supports to providers who are working hard to keep their businesses viable.”
The revenue replacement grant opportunity is designed to provide financial assistance to DCF-enrolled child care providers and relative providers who have lost child care subsidy income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All DCF-enrolled providers will be eligible to receive this payment if they experience a measured decrease in subsidy payments, including school age programs and Head Start programs. Child care providers who are open or who have closed temporarily are eligible. Relative providers, enrolled as DCF providers, who have remained open are eligible.
The Health Care and Emergency Worker Support bonus is a one-time bonus to provide recognition to the child care provider and elevate the importance of ensuring that child care options are available to the health care and emergency workforce in Kansas. Due to the increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 by caring for children of workers (parents/legal guardians) on the frontlines, a bonus acknowledges the additional protective measures needed to ensure a child care provider can meet the demand of a healthy and safe environment.
The following child care programs are eligible for the Health Care and Emergency Worker Support Bonus:
For more information and for instructions on how to apply, visit KSHeroRelief.com or ks.childcareaware.org
Governor Laura Kelly Holds Virtual Distance Learning Discussion with Kansas Teachers
Kelly asks for ways to improve partnership between state and educators
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today joined a zoom call with Kansas teachers, Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers, and Representative Cindy Holscher to discuss ways to improve education access and continuous learning during COVID-19.
“Kansas teachers stepped up when schools were closed, and continued to give our kids the education they deserve,” Governor Kelly said. “Today Lt. Gov. Rogers, Rep. Cindy Holscher, and I spoke with teachers about the challenges of distance learning and how this administration can support their work in the fall.”
On March 17 Governor Kelly took aggressive actions to save lives and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by closing school buildings for the duration of the school year. In just a few days a group of dedicated teachers and administrators from across the state came together to develop the continuous learning plan, which provided robust guidance on how schools can continue education safely.
“Our state’s educators are resilient, passionate, and dedicated to their students,” Lt. Gov. Rogers said. “I enjoyed our conversation this morning, and I look forward to future discussion and collaboration with educators from across the state.”
During the call, Governor Kelly asked educators how their districts met the challenges presented by the pandemic, and how her administration can support their work as the school year nears.
The below photo is available for media use:
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Kansas Approved for Online EBT Purchasing
Starting in September Kansans will have the option to purchase groceries online using Kansas Benefits Card
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture approved the Department for Children and Families (DCF) proposal to offer Kansas food assistance recipients the option of purchasing groceries online using a Kansas Benefits Card also known as an EBT card.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented enormous challenges – especially for our vulnerable families,” Governor Kelly said. “We will continue to work with our federal and local partners to make critical resources – like food and nutrition – accessible, to keep families healthy and safe.”
DCF is working with its EBT partner to test the new system to ensure there are no disruptions to the normal EBT transaction process. The agency expects testing to be done during the summer with full implementation of online purchasing expected in September.
“We know the pandemic has made it difficult for those receiving food assistance to travel to grocery stores to purchase food,” Howard said. “This new online purchasing program provides those families the flexibility to safely purchase groceries online.”
In addition, the agency will announce partner vendors closer to implementation.
Kansas currently has more than 185,000 individuals who receive food assistance benefits totaling $265 million annually.
SEK Multi-County Health Departments
Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, and Woodson Counties
WHEN SHOULD I STAY HOME?
WHEN SHOULD I GO BACK OUT IN PUBLIC AFTER ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE?
HOW LONG COULD MY ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE LAST?
You may contact your County Health Department by calling:
Allen County: (620)365-2191
Anderson County: (785)448-6559
Bourbon County: (620)223-4464
Woodson County: (620)625-2484
Click below for the latest directive from Rebecca Johnson, SEK Multi-County Health Departments Administrator.
Written directives are given for all those who have tested positive for COVID 19, or are a close contact of one who has tested positive.
These individuals must isolate or quarantine in their homes or other suitable location due to the recent spread of the virus.
Several persons have been uncooperative to remain at home, Johnson said in the press release.
The directive starts today, June 24, 2020 at 8 p.m. until July 8, 2020.
Governor Laura Kelly announces Commission on Racial Equity and Justice
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today signed Executive Order No. 20-48 establishing the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice. The Commission is tasked with studying issues of racial equity and justice in Kansas and will begin its work focusing on law enforcement-community relations.
“As Governor, I am committed to ensuring this latest tragedy does not fade into the next news cycle. Communities of color do not have the luxury of time for leaders to address these issues,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I have convened a diverse and qualified group of Kansas stakeholders, including members of law enforcement and advocacy groups, to form the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice. Their purpose is to find and present policy actions the state can take on issues of racial equity and justice in Kansas.”
The Commission will study racial equity and justice in Kansas, and hold listening sessions with Kansans across the state with experience and expertise in the topic. The Commission will make recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, and local governments on concrete and immediate steps that can be taken to increase racial equity and justice in Kansas.
The Commission will be co-chaired by Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Topeka Public Schools USD 501, and Dr. Shannon Portillo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs KU Edwards Campus & School of Professional Studies. The remaining members of the task force are:
“Governor Kelly’s commitment to equity for all Kansans is clear as she empowers a diverse group to bring additional voices and recommendations to the Legislature, local and state government,” co-chair Dr. Tiffany Anderson said. “The Governor’s courageous step to address equity through this Commission is a step that further defines Kansas as a leader and turns a moment of national unrest into a movement of progress for us all. It is a privilege as the superintendent of Topeka Public Schools to co-chair the Commission with Dr. Portillo, and I look forward to listening, learning, and working with others to ensure we have more equitable systems in place, serving all Kansas families well.”
The Commission will meet virtually or in-person as recommended by public health guidance. It will make its initial report to Governor Kelly by December 1, 2020.
“We are seeing a call for systemic change across the country, and I am thrilled that Governor Kelly has been clear in her response,” co-chair Dr. Shannon Portillo said. “Here in Kansas, we’re going to make real change. I’m honored to work beside the diverse group of experts the Governor has brought together, and I look forward to getting to work, holding listening sessions across our state, and making policy and practice recommendations that address inequities in Kansas.”
“This is not an issue I feel comfortable sitting on and waiting for changes to happen,” Governor Kelly said. “We must be proactive in the way we approach these issues, as they impact the lives of Kansans every day. By focusing this Commission initially on policing and law enforcement, we aim to make changes that will improve the safety of both citizens and police officers.”
Executive Order #20-48 can be viewed here.
More information about members of the Commission can be viewed here.
