CLARIFICATION: Please note that these mandates do not apply to critical infrastructures 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.
Fort Scott National Historic Site is Modifying Operations to Implement Latest Health Guidance
Fort Scott Kan. – Fort Scott National Historic Site is announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. As of Wednesday, March 18, at 12 p.m., the Fort Scott National Historic Site Parkstore and visitor contact desk area is closed until further notice. The upcoming Spring Civil War Encampment event will be rescheduled for a future date TBD.
Where it is possible to adhere to the latest health guidance, all Museum, exhibit areas, and fort buildings (including the Post Hospital) remain open. Rangers will be roving the site providing information and orientation. Outdoor spaces will remain open to provide healthy options for the public such as park walkways, trails, and the tallgrass prairie.
Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the digital tools already available to explore Fort Scott National Historic Site. Please continue to enjoy the park through the park’s mobile app. There are many educational resources available to explore on the Fort Scott National Historic Site webpage to help you stay connected to your national park.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Fort Scott National Historic Site is our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.
The NPS urges visitors to do their part when visiting a park and to follow CDC guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other groups; washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; and most importantly, staying home if you feel sick.
For high-risk populations, such as the elderly and people with underlying conditions, we ask that they take extra caution and follow CDC guidance for those at higher risk of serious illness.
Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations.
From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation. The site exhibit areas and buildings are open daily from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
HOUSTON (March 18, 2020) – The safety and health of our guests, associates and store communities are our top priority.
To better support our associates, serve our customers and slow the spread of COVID-19, Stage Stores and our family of brands (Gordmans, Bealls, Goodys, Palais Royal, Peebles, and Stage) have adjusted our store operating hours. Until further notice, our reduced store hours are as follows:
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday 12pm-6pm
Additionally, in compliance with local government orders to shut down all non-essential businesses, as well as other location-based factors, select stores are temporarily closed and will not re-open until circumstances improve.
Our new store openings continued as planned yesterday, March 17, however new store openings planned for March 31 have been postponed. Events planned in conjunction with store openings, such as ribbon-cutting ceremonies, have been canceled.
In addition to our new store hours, we are taking the following actions to help keep our guests and associates healthy:
Increasing the frequency of store cleanings, paying special attention to frequently touched objects and surfaces such as register counters, shopping carts, door handles, restrooms, etc.;
Reminding our associates of their training on illness prevention;
Advising all employees to stay home if they are not feeling well, or if circumstances might advise them to do so, to seek medical attention if they have symptoms.
We also encourage our guests everywhere to take the extra precautions necessary to safeguard their health and the health of others. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with public health authorities as required. We will keep you informed if our approach changes and will continue to post updates on stage.com and gordmans.com. We look forward to serving guests in our stores.
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. Five new cases announced today.
Please visit our website, www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus, for more information and answers to your FAQs. New information is added daily.
For more information: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kansas Test Results
Updated 3/18/20 at 10 a.m.
Total Positive Cases
21
Private Labs
2
Kansas Health and Environmental Lab
19
Deaths (included in above numbers)
1
Out-of-State Resident Positive Cases
(not counted in Kansas numbers)
2
Positive Case Information
County Number
Butler County
1
Douglas County
1
Franklin County
1
Johnson County
11
Leavenworth County
2
Wyandotte County
5
* Ford and Miami Counties reported positive cases in out-of-state residents. Numbers included in cases home states.
2
KDADS Announces Restrictions for Visitors to State Hospitals in Response to COVID-19 Many State Hospital Activities Also Suspended or Restricted
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Secretary Laura Howard today announced that visitation at all four state hospitals has been restricted effective immediately as a measure of precaution to reduce exposure of COVID-19 to residents and staff.
“Restrictions on visitors at state hospitals are a difficult but necessary step in our mission to encourage social distancing and limit exposure to the virus not only for our residents, who are some of the most vulnerable Kansans we serve, but our staff as well,” Secretary Howard said. “To date, there have been no cases of COVID-19 in any of our state hospital facilities and we are making vigilant efforts to continue to provide a safe, healthy environment.”
Consistent with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ guidance recently released for nursing facilities, new restrictions on visitors and non-essential individuals entering the Kansas Neurological Institute, Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, Osawatomie State Hospital and Larned State Hospital are in place:
Restricts all visitors, effective immediately, with exceptions for compassionate care, such as end-of-life situations;
No one showing signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat is allowed on campus.
No one having been in contact with a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 is allowed on campus.
No one having traveled to countries with sustained community transmission within the last 14 days is allowed on campus. Currently those countries include Italy, Iran, China and South Korea. An updated listing of these countries can be found at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html.
Restricts all volunteers and nonessential health care personnel and other personnel (i.e. barbers);
Restricts internal and public group activities or appointments;
Implements active screening of residents and health care personnel for fever and respiratory symptoms;
Suspends the Foster Grandparent Program (unique to KNI) and volunteer programs;
Redirects vendors and deliveries to alternate sites on campuses; and
Closes facilities on state hospital campuses to the public.
Parents and guardians of residents at state hospitals are being asked not to come to campuses and instead check with hospital administration about alternative ways to communicate with their loved ones. Each hospital will work to accommodate visitors via telephone or video if possible.
In end-of-life cases, visitors will be equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks, and the visit will be limited to a specific room only.
“The populations we serve in our state hospitals are in many cases more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others. That, coupled with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in people who are in close proximity to each other on an ongoing basis, make it necessary to restrict, or in some cases suspend, normal day-today activities,” Deputy Secretary of Hospitals and Facilities Scott Brunner said.
For more information on COVID-19 visit the Kansas Department for Health and Environment’s Resource Center at: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
John Horn votes during a 2017 election at the Bourbon County Courthouse.
The election process has begun and this year the general election date is November 3,
“Filing deadline is noon, June 1st, 2020,” Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason said. “Anyone wanting to run for a local office can pick up the filing paperwork from my office.”
The county clerk’s office is located on the first floor of the north wing of the Bourbon County courthouse, 210 S. National Ave.
Since the interview, the courthouse has temporarily closed due to COVID 19 prevention measures.
“I am checking my emails on a regular basis,” Mason said on March 17. “if someone needs a packet they can email me with their mailing information and we will mail them a packet. My email address is [email protected].”
At the county level, there have been some filings for Bourbon County Sheriff and two commission positions, Mason said.
So far this year, three men have applied to run for Bourbon County Sheriff: Derick Burke, Bill Martin and Craig A. Rice
Fort Scott Police Department Officer Derick Burke. File photo. Burke is running for sheriff.
Bourbon County Sheriff Bill Martin. Submitted photo. Martin is running for sheriff.
Craig Rice. Courtesy photo by Merle Humphrey. Rice is running for sheriff.
Two Bourbon County Commission seats are up for election:
For Commission District #2 – Jeffrey Fischer and Jim Harris
For Commission District #3 – LeRoy “Nick” Ruhl
Jeff Fischer, District 2 Bourbon County Commissioner. He is running for his current position.Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works Director. Harris is running for District 2 Commissioner.Nick Ruhl, District 3 Bourbon County Commissioner. He is running for his current position.
“Elections in even years are in August and November,” Mason said. “A law changed the odd-year elections from spring to fall.
As of last week, there are no amendments received to be put on the ballot, Mason said.
You may register to vote online, through the Kansas Secretary of State’s website.
Check your voter registration status, the location of your polling place and view a sample ballot at VoterView by the Secretary of State.
Advance Voting is available prior to each election. You may advance vote in one of two ways: By mail, by filing an application for a ballot to be mailed to you OR in-person, beginning at least one week prior to any election.
Governor Kelly announces Executive Order to temporarily prohibit evictions and foreclosures
Governor Kelly on Tuesday announced Executive Order #20-06 to temporarily prohibit evictions and foreclosures across the state in an effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
Due to negative economic impacts of COVID-19, Governor Kelly and her administration decided to take steps to support Kansans who may miss mortgage or rent payments as a result of lost wages and other income.
“We understand that this pandemic is creating unprecedented challenges for people across the state,” Kelly said. “Kansas families need our support, and my administration is committed to doing everything it can to make sure Kansans can stay in their homes and businesses. It’s a necessary step to further protect Kansans’ health and safety.”
The Executive Order temporarily prohibits all financial institutions operating in Kansas from initiating any mortgage foreclosure efforts or judicial proceedings, and any commercial or residential eviction efforts or judicial proceedings until May 1, 2020.
This order comes after a State of Disaster Emergency for the State of Kansas was proclaimed by Kelly on March 12, 2020.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — With Tuesday’s announcement by Governor Laura Kelly that state agencies will reduce their offices to essential services for a limited time beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, the Kansas Department of Agriculture assures the Kansas agriculture industry that we will continue to provide support across the state for critical services in agriculture. The farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses of Kansas are an integral part of the economic backbone of the state. KDA works on a daily basis to support these stakeholders and this will continue during the upcoming break, while we also take steps to protect the health of KDA employees.
While some components of KDA’s programs will cut back their daily routines, the essential services which ensure a safe food supply, protect natural resources, promote public health and safety, protect animal health, and provide consumer protection will continue from this agency. Many of our program areas are well equipped to work from home and will do so as needed to assist in the continuity of the Kansas agriculture industry.
KDA will continue to make every effort possible to communicate with our stakeholders in a clear manner throughout this time period. Information about the state’s response to this emergency event can be found the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s COVID-19 Resource Center at www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
