KDHE issues new recommendations for quarantine and isolation of travelers,

close contacts and those being tested

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is issuing new guidance today surrounding COVID-19, including travelers, close contacts of confirmed cases and those being tested.

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

• Traveled to a state with known widespread community transmission (currently California, New York and Washington state) on or after March 15.
• Visited Eagle, Summit, Pitkin and Gunnison counties in Colorado within the past week.
• Traveled on a cruise ship 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 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.)

“We know there are a lot of questions and concerns from people,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary, said. “One thing we want to stress is that having contact with someone who may have been exposed to someone who may be a COVID-19 case is not a reason to worry or quarantine yourself. Public health officials will notify you if you are a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19.”

There is no need for returning travelers to notify KDHE about their return. Information on COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and states with community transmission can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

Home Quarantine Guidelines

Those who are under home quarantine should not attend school, work or any other setting where they are not able to maintain at about a 6-foot distance from other people.

If a person under quarantine develops symptoms of COVID-19 during their 14-day quarantine period, including a measured fever of 100.4 (F) or higher and lower respiratory symptoms like coughing or shortness of breath, they should contact their healthcare provider and tell them about their recent travel or other COVID-19 exposure.

Testing for COVID-19

Healthcare providers should evaluate exposure history and symptoms and call KDHE if COVID-19 is suspected. KDHE only approves COVID-19 testing requests from healthcare providers and local health departments.

People who are currently being tested for COVID-19 should remain in home isolation, or hospital isolation if symptoms are severe enough to be hospitalized, until test results are available. If the test result is negative, isolation is no longer required. If test results are positive for COVID-19, the person must remain in isolation until released by public health.

Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid spreading the virus and to avoid being exposed to the virus. The virus is thought to spread between people who are within about 6 feet of each other for at least 10 minutes through droplets from coughing and sneezing.

To reduce risk, everyone should:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces daily.

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.

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Situation Overview
KDHE continues to closely monitor an outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19). The outbreak first started in Wuhan, China, but cases have been identified around the world including in the United States. The first case in the United States was announced January 21, 2020.

KDHE Response Activities

• Other labs in the state are beginning to test for COVID-19. These labs are asked to send all results to KDHE. KDHE will continue reporting/announcing results from these labs for Kansas cases.
• KDHE will update its website with the case information daily by 5 p.m.
• 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.
• KDHE has a phone-bank operation that is staffed during regular business hours. 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 contact numbers are for general questions and cannot provide you with medical evaluations. If you are feeling ill, please stay home and call your healthcare provider.

For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/15/20 at 3 p.m.

Positive (confirmed)
8
(1 death included)

Negative
166

Positive Case Information
County Number

Johnson County
5
Wyandotte County
1
Butler County
1
Franklin County
1

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Secretary of Corrections announced today that visitation will be suspended at all Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) facilities, effective immediately, as a measure of precaution to reduce exposure of COVID-19 to our residents and staff.

We will reevaluate on an on-going basis and will communicate any changes as soon as possible.

Families are encouraged to utilize e-mail, phone and video visits to stay in touch with their loved ones.

For more information and resources related to COVID-19, including symptoms and tips for prevention, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s website at http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/.

Sign up March 23, 2020, for Producers Impacted by Drought or Excess Moisture as well as Announces Provisions for Sugar Beet Producers

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 28, 2020 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced additional disaster assistance available to agricultural producers, including producers impacted by drought and excess moisture as well as sugar beet growers. Through WHIP+, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping producers recover from losses related to 2018 and 2019 natural disasters.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will open signup on March 23 for producers to apply for eligible losses of drought (D3 or above) and excess moisture. USDA is also entering into agreements with six sugar beet processing cooperatives to distribute $285 million to grower members of those cooperatives who experienced loss. 

“It’s true that farmers and ranchers are no strangers to the impact natural disasters have on their operations, but disaster events the past two years have been atypically widespread, relentless and unforgiving,” Secretary Perdue said. “In some instances, producers have suffered multiple disaster events in one year or in several years back-to-back.  I am pleased that Congress has afforded USDA the authority to continue providing much-needed assistance to producers who have lost so much these last few years. President Trump has the backs of our farmers, and we aim to support them as they recover.”

In June 2019, more than $3 billion was made available through a disaster relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Trump.  In December 2019, Congress passed, and President Trump signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 that provides an additional $1.5 billion for the continuation of disaster assistance program delivery.

WHIP+ New Qualifying Disaster Events

The bill added excessive moisture and D3 and D4 drought as qualifying losses for WHIP+ assistance.

Beginning March 23, producers who suffered either of these types of loss in 2018 and/or 2019 can apply for WHIP+ assistance at their local FSA office. For drought, a producer is eligible if any area of the county in which the loss occurred was rated D3 (Extreme Drought) or higher on the U.S. Drought Monitor during calendar years 2018 or 2019.

WHIP+ Sugar Beet Loss Assistance

As also directed in the bill, USDA will provide $285 million through sugar beet processing cooperatives to compensate grower members for sugar beet crop losses in 2018 and 2019. Details will be finalized in agreements between USDA and participating sugar beet processing cooperatives. Sugar beet producers who are members of these cooperatives and experienced losses may contact their cooperative for more information about how this sugar beet crop assistance will be administered.

WHIP+ for Quality Loss

In addition, producers have reported widespread crop quality loss from eligible disaster events that results in price deductions or penalties when marketing the damaged crops. The Appropriations bill expands WHIP+ to include assistance for crop quality loss. FSA is gathering data and input from producers and stakeholders regarding the extent and types of quality loss nationwide.

“Providing assistance for quality loss is complicated, and we are actively gathering data and input on how to administer quality loss assistance for producers,” said Farm Production and Conservation Undersecretary Bill Northey.

Eligibility

To be eligible for WHIP+, producers must have suffered losses of certain crops, trees, bushes, or vines in counties with a Presidential Emergency Disaster Declaration or a Secretarial Disaster Designation (primary counties only) for the following named natural disaster events; hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, wildfires, and now excessive moisture that occurred in 2018 or 2019. Also, losses located in a county not designated by the Secretary as a primary county may be eligible if the producer provides documentation showing that the loss was due to a qualifying natural disaster event.

For drought, counties having a D3 or D4 Drought Monitor classification in any portion of the county anytime during calendar year 2018 or 2019 will also be eligible.

A list of counties that received qualifying hurricane declarations and designations is available at farmers.gov/recover/whip-plus. The U.S. Drought Monitor is available at https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

Because livestock losses are covered by other disaster recovery programs offered through FSA, these losses are not eligible for WHIP+.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is announcing a sixth case of COVID-19 in Kansas. The presumptive positive case was identified with testing sent to KDHE’s Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories (KHEL). These results will be verified by the CDC lab but will be treated as a positive unless determined otherwise.

The case is in a Butler County man in his 70s who had travel outside the U.S. KDHE continues to work with the local health department and CDC to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while they were infectious and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms. The patient is in isolation. No other information will be provided about the patient.

“Kansans should remain vigilant,” Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary said. “It’s important to live your lives, but it’s also important to take basic precautions like exercising good hygiene practices. It is up to each of us to do our part.”

People should exercise vigilance when attending large public gatherings, particularly those people over age 60 and those with weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions. There are mass events guidance documents from the Centers from Disease Control available on KDHE’s website, www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.

If you have symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath and believe you may have had contact or have had contact with someone with a laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider.

You may also call the KDHE phone bank at 1-866-534-3463 (1-866-KDHEINF) today Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information about COVID-19, visit KDHE’s website and Frequently Asked Questions at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Governor appoints Kenyen J. (K.J.) Wall to fill vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court

Governor Laura Kelly today appointed Kenyen J. (K.J.) Wall to the Kansas Supreme Court. Wall will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. 

“Whether the court is dealing with issues of life and death, the powers of our government, or how we deal with the economic challenges of our time, the Supreme Court demands the best the legal profession has to offer,” Kelly said.

“K.J. has an incredible legal mind, a love of the law, and a heart for service. K.J. combines the ability to hear cases fairly and impartially with the ability to remember that the law is about people, not simply words on a page. He will be an excellent addition to our Supreme Court.

“On the Supreme Court, K.J. will join six talented, experienced jurists, and I am confident he’ll fit right in. His capacity to untangle complex legal issues and communicate them clearly and concisely will serve the court and our state well for years to come.”

Wall is a partner with Forbes Law Group, where he regularly represents rural hospitals and other clients in courts throughout the state. From 2013 to 2015 he served as Deputy General Counsel to the Kansas Supreme Court, handling capital cases and special projects. Before working for the Kansas Supreme Court, Wall had been a private practice litigator in Colorado and was Senior Counsel at Federated Insurance in Owatonna, Minn.

Wall was an All-American and national-champion debater at Kansas State University, where he studied communications, graduating in 1993. After receiving his masters in rhetoric at the University of Minnesota in 1996, Wall attended the University of Kansas School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif in 2001. Wall began his legal career as a law clerk to United States District Judge John W. Lungstrum.

Wall also has been active in his community, as a member of the Kansas Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Committee, a member of the public school board in Owatonna Minnesota, a member of the board of directors of the River Bend Nature Center in Faribault, Minn. and a member of the Weld Food Bank in Weld County, Colo.

“I’m blessed to have the support of my family and am thankful for the confidence Governor Kelly and the Supreme Court Nominating Commission have placed in me as I embark on this new challenge,” Wall said. “I promise that every day I will work to ensure that the law is applied fairly and impartially. I hope to continue the legacy of fairness, independence and character that Judge Lungstrum, Chief Justice Nuss and countless other mentors have instilled in me over the years.

“Kansas has always been home, and I can think of no better way to serve my state than serving alongside the six dedicated, brilliant justices on our Supreme Court.”

Kansas Supreme Court Justices are appointed through a merit-based nomination process. When there is a vacancy on the court, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission submits the names of three nominees to the Governor, and the Governor then has 60 days to make the appointment.  

To be eligible, a nominee must be at least 30 years old and admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.  

Every justice must stand for a retention vote in the general election following their first year of service on the court. If retained by voters at that time, they then face retention votes every six years for as long as they serve on the bench.