Updated Monday: Sedgwick County Commission to meet today to discuss restrictions to slow coronavirus
Updated at 11:09 a.m. Monday: Sedgwick County commissioners will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. Monday to discuss whether to institute a stay-at-home order or take other actions in response to coronavirus.
“I would say It is talking about what actions its going to take as a county, whether we are going to stay the same, whether we are going to enact a stay-at-home ordinance” said county commissioner Lacy Cruse. “Those are the kinds of things that hopefully we will decide today.
Original story:
Sedgwick County reported its second coronavirus case over the weekend, with 14 Kansas counties now reporting positive cases.
County commissioners will discuss whether stay-at-home orders are needed to slow the spread of the virus here, similar to what the Kansas City metro area is doing.
“If you leave bars open, people are going to go to bars, that’s just the reality of our situation,” said Sedgwick County commissioner Lacey Cruse.
County counselor Mike Pepoon promised to have a draft of a stay-at-home order for commissioners to consider by Wednesday at the latest.
Physician Garold Minns, the county’s health officer, said Sunday that if he could shut down everything he would, but the consequences of doing that would be worse than the disease.
“I think the community is actually coming along pretty well,” he said during a news conference Sunday. “I think it is better to do what we are doing.”
The Sedgwick County case involved a man who is under the age of 60 and has a history of traveling to Colorado, according to Sedgwick County spokeswoman Kate Flavin. The man was tested by his doctor and is at home in isolation.
The Sedgwick County Health Department “has identified that the only close contacts were household members,” Flavin said in a news release. “They will be monitored for fever and respiratory symptoms.”
Sedgwick County and the state of Kansas are almost out of testing supplies. In Sedgwick County, first responders, health care workers, people in the hospital and people over age 60 who are exhibiting symptoms of the disease will be given priority for testing.
The number of Kansas cases climbed to 64 as of 10 a.m. Sunday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported. The KDHE report included a second Kansas death related to the virus.
More than 32,000 cases of the virus had been identified across the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. At least 400 people have died from it.
The second death in Kansas was a Johnson County man in his 70s man who had underlying health conditions and no travel history, The Kansas City Star reported. Additionally, The Star reported an additional two cases in Douglas County.
The Kansas City metro area is under orders to stay at home effective Tuesday. The order requires residents of Kansas City and Johnson, Jackson and Wyandotte counties to remain at home except for activities “essential to the health and safety” of themselves, family members or friends, such as getting medical attention or food. Residents can also go to work if their employer is deemed an essential business. On Sunday, Leavenworth County issued similar restrictions.
Violations will be considered misdemeanor offenses, punishable by a $500 fine and up to 6 months in jail.
The order is for 30 days, but could be extended.
The first Sedgwick County case was reported Thursday as a woman who was over 60.
Kansas has seen cases grow by double digits the past three days.
The 64 confirmed cases do not include two cases in Ford and Miami counties that were diagnosed in out-of-state residents. Those two will be counted in their home states, the KDHE said.
This story was originally published March 21, 2020 at 8:58 PM.