COVID-19 cluster found at Wichita car dealership

Five COVID-19 cases were identified at the Mel Hambelton Ford car dealership of Wichita, making it the latest of clusters in Sedgwick County, officials said Friday night.

The Sedgwick County Health Department is asking anyone who visited the business from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 17 or 8 a.m. to noon on April 20 to call the health department at 316-660-7300 or United Way of the Plains at 211. People who visited the business, located at 11625 W. Kellogg Drive, during that time may have been exposed to the virus from an employee.

“Mel Hambelton Ford always has their employees and their customers best interest at heart,” owner Lisa Hambelton said in a news release. “Navigating COVID-19 has been difficult and we have taken the appropriate measures necessary to keep our employees and customers safe. We have worked closely with the Sedgwick County Health Department to make the best decisions possible regarding COVID-19 cases. In every instance we have sought out the advice from the experts and followed it at all times.”

The cluster would be at least the sixth in Sedgwick County.

Clusters are two or more non-household cases that reported visiting the same place in relatively the same time frame. Sedgwick County has also had clusters reported at another business, three churches and a nursing home. There have been 52 confirmed cases and three deaths reported so far at the Clearwater Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center.

Kansas officials reported 52 clusters statewide, which accounted for roughly 940, or 33%, of the 2,777 confirmed cases. Additionally, 75 of the 111 reported deaths, or 68%, occurred through clusters. The main driver were clusters at 19 long-term care facilities, where there were 377 cases and 63 deaths.

This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 10:26 PM.