Kansas coronavirus updates: Sedgwick County hits 200 cases, state death count at 62

Here is the Wichita area news to know on the coronavirus pandemic for Monday. For updates from Sunday, click here.

New Kansas coronavirus numbers

The death count from COVID-19 in Kansas has reached 62 as the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in Sedgwick County hit 200.

Statewide, 1,376 patients have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported. There have been 12,488 negative tests.

Patients range in age from infant to 99 years old with an average age of 53. Statewide, 309 people have been hospitalized due to COVID-19. Hospitalization data is not available for about 22% of cases.

In the Wichita area, 12 cases have been confirmed in Reno County, nine in Butler County, four in Harvey County, two in Sumner County, one in Cowley County and zero in Kingman County.

The Sedgwick County Health Department reports that 80 local patients have recovered.

The race and ethnicity of coronavirus patients is now being reported by KDHE, though the data is incomplete, with race not reported in 363 of the 1,376 cases. Of the 1,013 cases where race data is available, about 72% of patients are white, about 22% are black, Native American and Asian are both less than 1% and other races comprise about 4% of cases.

The infection in the black community has a rate of nearly 104 people were 100,000, which is about 3.5 times the rate of about 29 people per 100,000 in the white population. Native American and Asian communities have rates of infection that are less than half that of the white community.

In the 959 cases where ethnicity data is available, about 14% are Hispanic or Latino.

In the 62 deaths, race data is available in all but six cases. About 59% of the people who have died due to COVID-19 were white, and the remaining 41% were black. Only one death in the state has been Hispanic or Latino, though 11 cases do not have ethnicity information.

Wichita Work Release Facility inmate tests positive

In addition to new statewide and local totals, the Kansas Department of Corrections on Monday reported the first confirmed COVID-19 case in an inmate housed at the Wichita Work Release Facility, the all-male, minimum-custody Winfield Correctional Facility satellite unit located at 401 S. Emporia in downtown Wichita.

Rebecca Witte, a KDOC spokeswoman, said by email that an inmate older than 40 tested positive for the disease Sunday. The KDOC did not release his name or other information to protect his identify, Witte wrote.

The KDOC said 113 inmates who live in the open dormitory housing unit with the man were moved Sunday night to Lansing Correctional Facility, where staff and inmates had previously tested positive for the virus, for “medical isolation and monitoring.”

The Wichita Work Release Facility, which has two open dormitory housing units, is the second KDOC facility to report positive COVID-19 cases. It housed 248 inmates before Sunday’s move.

Witte said the state and local health departments “conducted contact tracing” to learn who may have interacted with the inmate both inside and outside of the work release facility and are notifying those people.

“KDOC will remain diligent in monitoring other staff and residents for symptoms,” Witte’s email said.

Food production continues during pandemic

In rural Kansas, agriculture and meat processing continue despite COVID-19 risks. To read more on how farmers, ranchers and other agriculture workers are affected, click here.

How to get free food

If your family is struggling and could use help with groceries, several Wichita-area food pantries and soup kitchens have free food. For more information, including a listing of where to get food assistance, click here.

Unemployment questions and answers

Do you have questions on filing for unemployment benefits in Kansas during the coronavirus pandemic. To read The Eagle’s answers to some of the most common questions that readers have asked, click here.

Wichita golf courses reopen

With coronavirus precautions in place, Wichita city officials will reopen the Auburn Hills and MacDonald courses on Tuesday. To read more on the golf courses reopening, click here.

This story was originally published April 13, 2020 at 12:18 PM.