Category Archives: Kansas

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

KDHE adds states to travel quarantine list, removes others

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TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has added two states to the quarantine list: Massachusetts and Rhode Island and removed three states from the list: California, Florida and Washington. This is effective for persons returning today, April 30, and moving forward. A comprehensive list of those individuals in Kansas needing to quarantine for 14 days includes those who have:

 

Travel to:

  • Massachusetts and Rhode Island on or after April 30
  • Connecticut on or after April 6.
  • Louisiana or anywhere in Colorado on or after March 27.
  • Illinois or New Jersey on or after March 23.
  • New York on or after March 15.
  • Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Gunnison counties in Colorado in the week of March 8 or after.
  • Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
  • International travel on or after March 15.

 

Others needing to continue quarantining:

  • People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their cruise ship travel should finish out their quarantine.
  • People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their international travel to China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran should finish out their quarantine.
  • Received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19.

 

Please note these quarantine orders do not apply to critical infrastructure sectors needed to continue operations during this pandemic. Public health, including hospitals, clinics, law enforcement, meat packing supply, etc. need to have the staffing resources to continue serving Kansans. While KDHE strongly recommends these quarantine restrictions for everyone, we do recognize that services need to continue.

 

KDHE encourages facilities to ensure they have updated their Emergency Preparedness Plans and implement protocols to ensure that no employee comes to work symptomatic.

 

For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.

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COVID-19, Government, Health Care, Kansas

Governor Lifts Stay-at-Home Order Effective May 4

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Governor Laura Kelly introduces plan to safely, gradually

re-open Kansas, get state back to work

“Ad Astra” plan increases local flexibility in COVID-19 response efforts

 

TOPEKA – In a televised address, Governor Laura Kelly today presented her detailed framework for gradually, safely re-opening the Kansas economy and getting Kansas back to work. Kelly’s framework, “Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen Kansas” comes five weeks after a statewide stay-home order became necessary to aggressively mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Phase One will take effect on Monday, May 4, 2020, via Executive Order 20-29, when the statewide stay-home order outlined in Executive Order 20-16 officially lifts.

 

“I am incredibly proud of how the people of Kansas met the moment and answered the call to hunker down,” Kelly said. “It has been a difficult time that has taken a painful toll … financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and professionally on Kansans,” Kelly said. “But because Kansans took this seriously, COVID-19 has inflicted far less devastation on Kansas than it did in other states.”

 

The framework is structured to return more flexibility to local community response efforts, while still operating under a statewide, regulatory baseline. It allows local governments to impose additional restrictions beyond those outlined at the state level, if they deem it necessary to local COVID-19 response efforts. Local governments that choose not to impose additional restrictions are required to operate within the regulatory baseline established by the state. This approach will increase flexibility for local communities while also ensuring a gradual, safe transition statewide.

 

“My Ad Astra plan was developed in collaboration with my state health department, state emergency management team, business leaders and a diverse team of community leaders,” Kelly said. “It aims to balance the needs and concerns identified throughout diverse regions of the state, and sectors of the Kansas economy, but without compromising public health and safety. Data must drive this process … not dates.”

 

The Governor will evaluate the state’s disease spread, testing rates, death rates, hospitalizations, ability of state and local public health authorities to contain outbreaks and conduct contact tracing, and personal protective equipment availability when determining if the state should move to the next “Phase.” Regardless of phase, the State Health Officer retains the authority to impose additional public health interventions in any area that contains an emergent and significant public health risk.

 

Throughout all these phases, Kansans should continue to adhere to hygiene and social distancing protocols, including:

  • Washing hands frequently, while avoiding contact with one’s face;
  • Remaining home when sick or running a fever;
  • Following isolation and quarantine orders issued by state or local health officers;
  • Wearing a cloth face mask when in public;
  • Working remotely, if possible.

 

These are basic public health guidelines that will slow the spread of this disease, regardless of which phase is in effect, and are essential to minimizing community transmission of COVID-19 in the absence of a vaccine.

 

“Even if Kansans do everything perfectly for the next couple of months, new outbreaks are almost inevitable until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, manufactured and made widely available. It is essential that we make this transition slowly, gradually and cautiously,” the Governor said.

 

Kelly’s “Ad Astra: A Plan to Reopen Kansas,” is available in full at covid.ks.gov, in addition to industry-specific guidance for Kansas businesses.

 

Government, Kansas

K-47 width restriction will be in effect during storm sewer work at Girard

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A close up of a map Description automatically generated

 

Starting Monday, May 4, a driving lane width restriction of 10 feet will be in effect on K-47 from the K-7 junction at Girard east to the U.S. 69 junction.

 

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), the width restriction will remain in effect for about one month, while storm sewer pipe is placed across K-47 at Ozark Street in Girard.

 

Persons with questions may contact Bob Gudgen, (620) 308-7621, or Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.

Government, Kansas

DCF To Reopen Low Income Energy Assistance Program

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DCF To Reopen Low Income Energy Assistance Program

New application period begins May 1

 

Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today announced the agency is adding a second opportunity for Kansans to apply for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). The new application period begins May 1 and runs through May 29.

 

“Given the current circumstances we want to be responsive to the needs of low-income households,” Howard said. “I urge anyone who may have missed the original application deadline or who may be having financial difficulty because of the COVID-19 pandemic to take advantage of this opportunity.”

 

LIEAP provides an annual benefit to help qualifying households pay winter heating bills. Persons with disabilities, older adults and families with children are the primary groups assisted. In 2019, about 33,000 households received an average benefit of $576.

To qualify, applicants must be responsible for direct payment of their heating bills. Income eligibility requirements are set at 130 percent of the federal poverty level. The level of benefit varies according to household income, number of people living in the home, type of residence, type of heating fuel and utility rates. Eligibility is based on an applicant’s heating bill. If an applicant needs assistance covering electric costs, they need to request the benefit be split between the two utilities.

Applicants need to have made payments on their heating bill two out of the last three months. Those payments must be equal to or exceed $80 or the total balance due on their energy bills, whichever is less.

If an applicant has already received a LIEAP benefit during the 2020 LIEAP season they are not eligible to receive another payment.

The application will be available beginning May 1.

Visit www.lieap.dcf.ks.gov to apply and for additional information.

Income eligibility determination:

 

Persons Living at the Address Maximum Gross Monthly Income
1 $1,354
2 $1,832
3 $2,311
4 $2,790
5 $3,269
6 $3,748

 

 

7 $4,227
8 $4,705
9 $5,184
10 $5,663
11 $6,142
12 $6,621
+1 $479 for each additional person
Government, Kansas

Governor Kelly to unveil official Kansas plan on April 30 to reopen

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Governor Kelly to unveil official Kansas plan to reopen  

Governor Laura Kelly will deliver an address Thursday evening on her administration’s official plan to reopen Kansas as the state addresses the COVID 19 pandemic.

 

The address will be broadcast on live television and available to radio stations in Kansas, and on the Governor’s Facebook page.

 

When: 6:30 p.m. CST until speech is concluded on Thursday, April 30, from a local film studio. Satellite information to follow.

 

Where: Check your local listings for information on the live and replayed broadcast.

 

The Governor will not have daily afternoon press briefings Thursday and Friday this week.

COVID-19, Government, Kansas

Governor announces state’s new COVID-19 website

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Visit the website at covid.ks.gov.

 

Governor Laura Kelly on Monday announced the launch of a new and comprehensive State of Kansas website for resources regarding COVID-19.

 

The site, covid.ks.gov, is a centralized place for Kansans seeking resources and up-to-date information, as the state responds to, and recovers from damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic. The site is ADA compliant, mobile optimized and will be available in Spanish.

 

“This comprehensive website will help Kansans connect with vital information as the state moves into reopening and recovery, and still offer guidance on ways to stay healthy and stop the spread of the virus,” the Governor said.

 

The site includes the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) daily case rates, what to do if you experience COVID-19 symptoms, how to protect yourself and more updated information on state resources in place to help Kansans.  

 

Kansans also can learn about volunteer efforts taking place statewide.

 

The KDHE site, kdheks.gov, will continue to be updated with COVID-19 related health information. As the state begins to expand beyond the medical portion of the pandemic, the new, more comprehensive covid.ks.gov site will provide additional resources related to the state’s recovery efforts.  

 

The new website also features acts of kindness from across the state.

 

“Seeing the many ways Kansans help one another – especially during this difficult time – is truly inspirational,” Kelly said. “I’m thankful every day for those kind gestures, and we want to do more to celebrate them.”

 

Visit the website at covid.ks.gov.

Government, Kansas

Governor Kelly’s administration resolves legal challenge

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Today Governor Laura Kelly announced her administration had reached an agreement to resolve a challenge to actions she took to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Kansas.

 

“My highest priority has been, and will continue to be, keeping Kansans safe during this pandemic,” Kelly said. “While I am confident that we have the law on our side, the agreement with these two churches will allow us to move forward and focus our efforts on mitigating the spread of the disease and working to restart the economy.”

 

The settlement comes less than a week before Governor Kelly is expected to make a decision on whether to open the state back up or keep in place the mass gathering and disease mitigation restrictions. Under the agreement, the two churches agree to comply with safety protocols put in place by the court.

 

“Since this case was filed on April 16, Ford County has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases going from 51 positives to 419,” Kelly said. “I know this is a difficult time for everyone, but I want to take a moment and thank all of the first responders and medical staff for their sacrifice. They are on the front lines of this disease and they are true heroes.

 

“Our job is to not make theirs harder. And, our advice to all Kansans remains the same – stay home and stay safe. We are bending the curve, but we must continue to be vigilant in our mitigation efforts.”

 

Government, Kansas

KDOL announces launch of Spanish language website feature

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TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of Labor Delía García confirmed today that the Spanish language feature of the GetKansasBenefits.gov website officially launched this week.

 

Unemployed Kansans can file their weekly claims, check the status of their claims and view FAQs all in Spanish just by clicking the Español button at the top of the page. The first stage of the launch was late last week followed by additional translated content earlier this week. KDOL will continue to update the site to provide more Spanish language resources as they are developed.

 

“When I joined the Kansas Department of Labor as the new secretary last year, I wanted to increase availability of materials in Spanish,” García said. “With the launch of the Spanish language website, we should be able to help more Kansans get questions answered and apply for benefits online. That is even more important during this crisis when call volumes are at unprecedented levels.”

 

For more information, or to apply for unemployment benefits, go to GetKansasBenefits.gov.