Coronavirus updates: Sedgwick County at 205 cases, new cluster reported
Here is the Wichita-area news to know on the coronavirus pandemic for Tuesday, April 14. For updates from Monday, click here.
New Kansas coronavirus numbers
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports 50 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state and five more in Sedgwick County.
There now are 1,426 cases of COVID-19 in Kansas and 205 in Sedgwick County. Statewide, at least 327 people have been hospitalized and 69 have died. Hospitalization data is not available in about 20% of cases.
Three of the deaths have been Sedgwick County residents, and two more patients have died in Sedgwick County hospitals, but were residents of Sumner and Cowley counties.
The median age of people who are infected is 54 years old.
There have been 12,721 negative tests in Kansas.
With 1,455 tests administered so far in Sedgwick County, the local testing rate is 2.82 per 1,000 people.
In the Wichita area, Reno County has 13 cases and a testing rate of 4.23. Butler County’s numbers are nine and 2.99, Harvey County’s are five and 3.14, Sumner County’s are two and 2.19, Cowley County’s are one and 2.66, and Kingman County’s are zero and 3.22.
In the Kansas City area, Wyandotte County has 345 cases and a testing rate of 8.63. Johnson County’s numbers are 323 and 5.19, Leavenworth County’s are 90 and 9.33, and Douglas County’s are 40 and 8.68.
Race and ethnicity numbers are available in about 75% of cases. In the cases where race data is available, about 73% are white, about 22% are black and the remaining 5% are other races. About 14% of all cases have a Hispanic or Latino patient.
In Sedgwick County, epidemiologists have determined 32 cases are travel-related, 92 were in close contact with another confirmed case, 60 are likely community spread and 22 remain under investigation. The county health department reported 206 cases Tuesday afternoon.
Of the local patients, 83 people have recovered from COVID-19, meaning their symptoms have been gone for three days or their symptoms started a week ago, whichever is longer.
Problems filing for unemployment
The Kansas Department of Labor said it would take down its website for an hour at noon and 7 p.m. today after the site has been “struggling due to the heavy load placed upon it by enormous claims volumes” for unemployment. While the site is down, the KDOL hopes to fix the issues; phone lines will still be available.
Fifth cluster identified in Sedgwick County
The Sedgwick County Health Department reported the fifth coronavirus cluster happened at a long-term care facility. Clusters have also been reported at three churches and a business. Clusters are two or more non-household cases that reported visiting the same place in relatively the same time frame.
Suspension extended for utility disconnects
The Kansas Corporation Commission extended suspending utility disconnection for nonpayment until May 15. The previous order was issued March 16 and would’ve expired April 15. The money due will still accrue, but utilities won’t be shut off during that time.
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.
National virus outbreak news
The Associated Press has compiled national news related to the novel coronavirus. To read the AP’s roundup of top pandemic stories, click here.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 10:56 AM.