MANHATTAN, Kan. —   The Secretary of Agriculture has issued an order to waive enforcement of a specific fuel restriction to help fuel retailers with continuity of business and prevent potential future shortages.   Due to the worldwide outbreak of  COVID-19, many business sectors are experiencing significant reductions in demand for products, including a reduction in the demand for gasoline. This has resulted in many gasoline retailers still holding an excess amount of winter grade gasoline in storage, which is required by law to be sold or reformulated by April 1 each year. The time and pipeline capacity required for reformulation of winter grade gasoline could negatively impact fuel supply in the future.   According to the order, gasoline meeting current standards for winter grade gasoline are permitted until April 30, 2020. The full order can be accessed at the Kansas Department of Agriculture website at agriculture.ks.gov/Fuel.

KDHE updates the public on testing prioritization;

issues new quarantine notices

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is issuing several updates today, including the addition of new states to the quarantine mandates as well as a prioritization for COVID-19 tests submitted to the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories.

Two states added to 14-day home quarantine

KDHE is now mandating 14-day home quarantine for Kansans who have:

• Traveled to a state with known widespread community transmission (California, Florida, New York and Washington state) on or after March 15.
• Traveled to Illinois or New Jersey on or after March 23.
• Visited Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Gunnison counties in Colorado in the week of March 8 or after.
• Traveled on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.
  • People who have previously been told by Public Health to quarantine because of their cruise ship travel should finish out their quarantine.
• Traveled internationally on or after March 15.
  • 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. You should quarantine at home for 14 days since your last contact with the case.  (A close contact is defined as someone who has been closer than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes while the patient is symptomatic.)

Important Note: These mandates do not apply to critical infrastructure sectors needed to continue operations during this pandemic. Public health, including hospitals, clinics, etc. need to have the staffing resources to continue serving Kansans. While KDHE strongly recommends these quarantine restrictions for everyone, we do recognize that medical care needs to continue and no healthcare facility should ever be to a point where it would need to close due to staff being quarantined. We ask facilities to ensure they have updated their Emergency Preparedness Plans and implement protocols to ensure that no employee comes to work symptomatic. Other examples of critical infrastructures include pharmaceutical and food supply, along with others defined by the Department of Homeland Security.

 

Testing Prioritization Change

Due to widescale shortages of laboratory supplies and reagents, testing for COVID-19 at the state lab is being prioritized for public health purposes and urgent need. KDHE will be prioritizing specimens for COVID-19 testing based upon those who meet Kansas’ patient under investigation (PUI) criteria starting today, March 23.

Those include:

• Healthcare workers and first responders who have COVID-19 symptoms
• Potential clusters of unknown respiratory illness, with priority given to long-term care facilities and healthcare facilities
• Hospitalized patients with no alternative diagnosis
• Individuals over the age of 60 who have symptoms of COVID-19 with priority given to people who reside in a nursing home, long-term care facility, or other congregate setting, and
• Individuals with underlying health conditions that would be treated differently if they were infected with COVID-19.

Specimens that were sent to KDHE prior to March 23, will still be tested. However, moving forward healthcare providers should:

• Send specimens to a commercial reference laboratory.
• Inform all patients who present with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 (e.g., measured fever of 100.4 (F) or greater and lower respiratory symptoms including cough or shortness of breath) who are not a high priority for testing to:
  • Self-isolate at home or another appropriate location for 7 days after illness onset or for 72 hours after resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medication) and significant improvement in symptoms, whichever is longer.

“KDHE has been in contact with the CDC, FEMA, manufacturers and distributors of the testing supplies and reagents to find ones our laboratory needs to run the specimens collected for COVID-19 testing,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “We are doing everything in our power to get supplies for our state. We are focusing testing in our lab on higher risk individuals at this time.”

For more information, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus. KDHE has a phone bank that is staffed Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. The phone number is 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF). KDHE also has an email address for general inquiries, [email protected].  Please note these contacts are for general questions and cannot provide you with medical evaluations. If you are feeling ill, please stay home and call your healthcare provider.

Governor Kelly announces Executive Order to further improve public safety regarding COVID-19 pandemic

 

Governor Kelly today announced new measures to protect Kansas families from the spread of  COVID-19, the novel coronavirus.

 

On Tuesday, Governor Kelly will issue an Executive Order limiting mass gatherings to 10 persons. The decision was based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and modeling from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) that projected cases of COVID-19 in Kansas to sharply rise to a range of 300 to 900 by the end of the month.

 

“This is an escalating crisis, and we must make sacrifices and adjustments to ensure the safety of our neighbors,” Kelly said. “We all need to do what we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

 

The Executive Order to be issued Tuesday also includes a framework counties will be required to use if local officials determine it is necessary to issue stay-at-home orders. The guidance will provide information on how to include these orders for essential infrastructure and businesses.

 

With 89 Kansas counties without a confirmed case as of today, the Governor does not plan to issue a statewide stay-at-home order at this time.

 

“The crisis continues to evolve by the hour, and a statewide stay-at-home order may indeed become necessary at some point soon,” Kelly said. “For now, the actions we are taking will ensure as much consistency as possible for local communities.

 

The Governor also reiterated the need for Kansans to be proactive and work together.

 

“The most effective way we can slow down the virus is to stay home,” Kelly said. “Continue practicing good hygiene and take all of these orders seriously. These actions will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, save lives and help us all transition back to our normal routines.”

• This document is updated every afternoon and available on www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
• KDHE has created a toolkit of Kansas-specific guidance to help local public health departments engage with their community partners on COVID-19 planning. It can be found on the KDHE website: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus. New information is added daily.

For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/23/20 at 10 a.m.

Total Positive Cases
82
Private Labs
47
Kansas Health and Environmental Lab
35
Deaths (included in above numbers)
Johnson and Wyandotte
2
Out-of-State Resident Positive Cases*
(not counted in Kansas numbers)
2

Positive Case Information
County Number
County

Bourbon
1
Linn County
2
Butler County
3
Lyon
2
Cherokee County
2
Mitchell County
2
Douglas County
8
Morris County
2
Franklin
1
Pottawatomie**
1
Jackson County
1
Reno County
2
Johnson County
32
Sedgwick
2
Leavenworth County
5
Wyandotte
16
*Ford and Miami Counties reported positive cases in out-of-state residents.
**The Pottawatomie case was labeled as Riley County’s yesterday. The person was determined to be a resident of Pottawatomie County and the chart is now reflective of that change.

Situation Overview
• This document is updated every afternoon and available on www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
• KDHE has created a toolkit of Kansas-specific guidance to help local public health departments engage with their community partners on COVID-19 planning. It can be found on the KDHE website: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus. New information is added daily.

For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/22/20 at 10 a.m.

Total Positive Cases
64
Private Labs
34
Kansas Health and Environmental Lab
30
Deaths (included in above numbers)
Johnson and Wyandotte
2
Out-of-State Resident Positive Cases
(not counted in Kansas numbers)
2

Positive Case Information
County Number

Butler County
3
Linn County
1
Cherokee County
1
Mitchell County
1
Douglas County
4
Morris County
2
Franklin
1
Reno County
1
Jackson County
1
Riley County
1
Johnson County
28
Sedgwick
2
Leavenworth County
4
Wyandotte
14
* Ford and Miami Counties reported positive cases in out-of-state residents. Numbers included in cases home states. 2

Guidance for Supporting Families in Accessing Healthy and Safe Child Care During the COVID-19 Outbreak

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is recommending continuity of operations for licensed child care facilities at this time (centers, preschools, day care homes and school age programs). Child care facilities may accept new enrollees in accordance with the terms of their license. However, depending on the unique and changing situations of each community, local public health officers may implement more restrictive guidance and provisions for child care facilities, up to and including closure within their authority and jurisdiction.

 

Child care providers should direct all questions to their local child care surveyor. Surveyors will coordinate efforts and communication with local public health officials to provide guidance based on the rapidly changing situation at the community level.

 

“We know this is a stressful time, and especially for families who rely on child care and those whose work circumstances are changing,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “There are a number of child care resources available to help you meet the needs of your family. We’re all in this together and will help families access the support they need.”

 

KDHE continues to accept and process applications for new child care facilities. Individuals interested in becoming a licensed provider are encouraged to contact their local licensing surveyor. Visit the KDHE Child Care Licensing website and click on Local County Contacts to find the surveyor in your area.

 

 

“Child care professionals provide a critical service in our state,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “They allow parents who are our doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters and more to respond to this pandemic. Child care facilities have very strict regulations regarding the number of children in the facility as well as health and safety guidelines that must continue to be met.”

 

For FAQs and guidance regarding child care operations during the pandemic, please visit the KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center website.

 

 

Options for families in need of child care

 

Many working families are facing challenges related to accessing healthy and safe child care during this time. We encourage everyone to assist with supporting families and communities as they work to develop creative solutions to meet the needs of working families.

 

Child Care Aware of Kansas provides assistance to families searching for licensed child care. They can be reached toll free at 877.678.2548.

KDHE has an online information system that serves as a tool to support families in making informed child care choices and can be used to review compliance history of a current licensed provider. The online tool is an important step to verifying that a facility is licensed and provides compliance history for parents and guardians.

Families that need flexible options or irregular care might consider having someone come into the home. Relatives, older siblings, and friends or neighbors currently not working due to COVID-19 related business closures might be available to help.

 

Other options for families that need limited care include informal care arranged between friends/neighbors on an irregular basis or someone to provide care in their own home for no more than two children for not more than 20 hours week. None of these options require a license from KDHE.

 

Situation Overview
• This document is updated every afternoon and available on www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
• KDHE has created a toolkit of Kansas-specific guidance to help local public health departments engage with their community partners on COVID-19 planning. It can be found on the KDHE website: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus. New information is added daily.

For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/21/20 at 10 a.m.

Total Positive Cases
55
Private Labs
24
Kansas Health and Environmental Lab
31

Deaths (included in above numbers)
Johnson and Wyandotte
2

Out-of-State Resident Positive Cases
(not counted in Kansas numbers)
2
Positive Case Information
County Number

Butler County
2
Linn County
1
Cherokee County
1
Mitchell County
1
Douglas County
1
Morris County
2
Franklin
1
Reno County
1
Jackson County
1
Riley County
1
Johnson County
25
Sedgwick
1
Leavenworth County
4
Wyandotte
13
* Ford and Miami Counties reported positive cases in out-of-state residents. Numbers included in cases home states. 2

Kansas Department of Agriculture Plans for Reduced Staff

MANHATTAN, Kan. —  At the direction of Governor Laura Kelly, the Kansas Department of Agriculture will be activating its Continuity of Operations Plan to work with a limited staff beginning March 23. The headquarters in Manhattan — as well as the field offices in Garden City, Parsons, Stafford, Stockton and Topeka — will all be closed to the public until further notice.   The agency’s primary mission areas and essential functions will continue, with a focus on maintaining the continuity of the food supply chain, protecting public health and safety, and protecting animal health.   “The farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas are an integral part of the economic backbone of the state, as well as key to providing the food supply for the state and the nation,” said Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam. “We will continue to provide support for these critical services.”   Messages left at the KDA main phone line (785-564-6700) will be returned as quickly as possible. Contact information for key KDA program areas, as well as other resources and ag-related guidance documents, can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/coronavirus.