Coronavirus updates: Kansas adds 250 cases, records 5 more deaths
The Eagle has compiled news to know on coronavirus and COVID-19 from Saturday for the Wichita area. For updates from Friday, click here.
New numbers
Kansas saw an overnight jump in COVID-19 cases of 250 and five additional deaths, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The jump brings totals to 6,751 cases and 157 deaths in the state.
The overnight jump in cases is the 10th highest since Kansas’ first reported case on March 7.
Finney County jumped 106 cases to 783, accounting for about 42% of the jump. Ford County added 37 cases for about 15% of the 24-hour increase. Federal efforts to keep meat-packing facilities operating has led to additional testing in both of those counties.
Wyandotte County saw an increase of 53 cases to 1,054, making up about 21% of the jump.
Sedgwick County saw one additional case, bringing the total to 439. County officials reported one additional death on Saturday, bringing the total to 19. At least 42% of the deaths in the county are attributed to a cluster at the Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
People infected in Kansas range in age from an infant to 100. The average age is 44 and the median age if 42. Statewide, at least 635 people have been hospitalized.
Race wasn’t available in about 24% of cases. In cases where it was available, the data shows black and Asian people are more adversely impacted than white people, which accounted for 3,853 cases and an infection rate of about 151 per 100,000 among white people. Black people accounted for 706 cases or about 324 per 100,000. Asian people had 374 cases or about 349 per 100,000.
On Friday, Kansas’ top health official attributed about 44% of the cases and 66% of deaths to 76 clusters being tracked around the state.
In Kansas, 49,862 people have been tested with 43,182 coming back negative, which gives a positive rate of 13.5%
Sedgwick County’s testing rate is 11.59 per 1,000 people. The statewide testing rate is 17.12 per 1,000 people. Sedgwick County remains the lowest in testing per 1,000 people among nine counties with at least 100 cases.
In order from highest cases: Ford County, 1,064 cases and testing rate of 83.08; Wyandotte County, 1,054 cases and testing rate of 27.87; Leavenworth County, 910 cases and testing rate of 43.68; Finney County, 783 cases and testing rate of 41.52; Seward County, 681 cases and testing rate of 74.58; Johnson County 590 cases and testing rate of 14.79; Sedgwick County 439 cases and testing rate of 11.59; Lyon County 326 cases and testing rate of 27.81, and Shawnee County 154 cases and testing rate of 22.23.
Sedgwick County, which releases its figures after the KDHE, reported an increase of one case to 458. Discrepancies between county and state numbers can be due to confirmed cases from one health department not yet being finalized with the other, officials have said.
Sedgwick County reported 275 people have recovered, meaning it has been 72 hours after symptoms stop or seven days after symptoms start, whichever is longer.
Driver’s license offices to reopen
Eleven drivers license locations across Kansas will start to open by appointment starting Tuesday, the Kansas Department of Revenue said. The services at those locations will be limited as well. A list of locations and services can be found at ksrevenue.org/reopening.html.
Online renewals of identification cards, driver’s licenses and vehicle tag renewals can be done at ikan.ks.gov. The Sedgwick County location, 1873 W. 21st N. Wichita Twin Lakes, says it is only doing commercial driver’s licenses.
This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 12:55 PM.