Coronavirus updates: Kansas sees 418 more cases and eight deaths

The Eagle has compiled a list of updates from Friday on the coronavirus pandemic for the Wichita area. For updates from Thursday, click here.

New numbers across Kansas

This week, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment moved from daily reporting of new COVID-19 cases to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Friday figures show a two-day increase of 418 cases and eight deaths, bringing the totals to 7,886 cases and 172 deaths. There have been at least 724 hospitalizations. Negative tests have come back 53,706 of the time, giving a positive testing rate of 12.8%.

The state has identified 94 clusters, accounting for 3,852 of the 7,886 cases (about 49%) and 120 of the 172 deaths (about 70%).

Clusters at meatpacking facilities account for 1,791 cases and four deaths. It is also attributed to about 61% of the 418-case increase, according to the KDHE.

Finney County saw a 163-case increase to 1,170 cases. Ford County increased 67 cases to 1,299. Together, they accounted for 55% of the new cases. Federal efforts to keep meat-packing facilities operating has led to additional testing in both of those counties.

Sedgwick County increased 28 cases to 512. Sedgwick County officials reported 20 coronavirus-related deaths.

Sedgwick County’s testing rate is 14.68 per 1,000 people. The statewide testing rate is 21.11 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, 1,299 cases and testing rate of 99.32; Finney County, 1,170 cases and testing rate of 63.62; Wyandotte County, 1,141 cases and testing rate of 33.88; Leavenworth County, 957 cases and testing rate of 48.51; Seward County, 753 cases and testing rate of 84.89; Johnson County 648 cases and testing rate of 18.93; Sedgwick County 512 cases and testing rate of 14.68; Lyon County 355 cases and testing rate of 31.15, and Shawnee County 183 cases and testing rate of 26.56.

Sedgwick County, which releases its numbers after the KDHE, showed an increase of three cases to 530. 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 has identified 10 clusters: three at businesses, long-term care and religious facilities and one at the Wichita Work Release Facility.

Of the 530 cases, epidemiologists have determined about 65% had close contact with another confirmed case, about 24% are likely person-to-person (indicating community spread), about 8% are travel-related and about 3% are under investigation.

Sedgwick County reported 341 people have recovered, meaning it has been 72 hours after symptoms stop or seven days after symptoms start, whichever is longer.

Federal unemployment dollars in Kansas exceeds $331 million

The Kansas Department of Labor said it processed more than $99.8 million of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation overnight, bringing the total payout to more than $331 million. The federal dollars pay out $600 weekly to eligible people from March 29 to July 25. The overnight payment was part of the weekly dues but the vast majority was the remaining back payments, the KDOL said in a news release. The release said there are about 2,000 people who are “still awaiting payout of back payments.”

COVID-19 fraud task force to investigate complaints in Kansas

The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Kansas announced the formation of a task force of federal and state agencies that will “investigate and prosecute scammers attempting to prey on Kansans during the COVID-19 outbreak.” Complaints can be made at USAKS.Covid.Fraud@usdoj.gov, by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721 or filing a complaint at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Wichita police to open up property and evidence facility

The Wichita Police Department said it would open the property and evidence facility, 410 N. Waco, starting Monday and stay open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The facility will open with a few guidelines: people must maintain a six-foot social distance from others, only three people allowed in the lobby at one time and guests are not allowed.

This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 1:02 PM.