Kansas weddings and other private events among 50 COVID clusters named in KDHE list

Kansas public health officials named two weddings, as well as other private events, that have become coronavirus clusters.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday identified 50 of 297 active outbreaks of COVID-19 cases. It appeared to be the first time that private events were identified on the list. The KDHE previously had a policy that private events were to be excluded due to privacy concerns.

The 297 active clusters and 50 identified locations appeared to be highs for the weekly list. Last week, the KDHE named 45 of 261 active outbreaks.

The report shows Derby High School continues to struggle with containing a month-long outbreak. That cluster has six cases in the past two weeks. The most recent case was identified on Friday. Newton High School with five cases was added to the list.

The Rolling Hills Health and Rehab long-term care facility in Wichita remained on the list, as did the Hutchinson Correctional Facility and Wellington’s Free Will Baptist Church.

There may be additional active clusters in the Wichita area that were not identified by the KDHE.

The Sedgwick County Health Department has reported a second cluster at a school in the county, but has not identified the school. It was not named in the KDHE’s report.

The list did not include locations for clusters at 86 nursing homes and long-term care facilities, 46 private businesses and meatpacking plants, 21 schools, 15 private events, 13 jails or prisons, 12 colleges or universities, 12 sports teams, 11 government offices, 11 group homes, nine health care facilities, six religious gatherings, four daycares and one camp.

Clusters are generally defined as two or more cases of COVID-19 with a common place and time, but the state health department only names locations with five or more cases within the current two-week period. Home-based daycares are excluded due to privacy concerns.

In one week, Kansas had 78 new clusters and 1,056 new cases connected to new and existing clusters. There were 27 new hospitalizations from clusters, as well as 48 new deaths from clusters.

The state reported its first death connected to a sporting event or team. There were also 46 new deaths from clusters at long-term care facilities, two at prisons and one at a private business. Two of those deaths had previously been reported in clusters at health care facilities.

There have been 989 total clusters, accounting for 596 of the state’s 1,087 deaths.

More information is available at the health department’s dashboard at www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas. Here are the active clusters identified by the state on Wednesday:

Colleges or Universities

• Benedictine College, Atchison, Atchison County, six cases.
• Emporia State University, Emporia, Lyon County, six cases.
• Fort Hays State University, Hays, Ellis County, 11 cases.
• Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Crawford County, 19 cases.

Schools

• Derby High School, Derby, Sedgwick County, six cases.
• Newton High School, Newton, Harvey County, five cases.
• Sabetha elementary, Sabetha, Nemaha County, 12 cases.
• USD 443, Dodge City, Ford County, 14 cases.
• Weskan School, Weskan, Wallace County, six cases.

Sports

• Pittsburg State University Football Team, Pittsburg, Crawford County, five cases.
• Turner High School Soccer Team, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, five cases.

Private Events

• Northcutt Wedding, Manhattan, Riley County, 22 cases.
• Private Event, Flint Hills, Lyon County, six cases.
• Roxy and Tanner Social Meet Up, Shawnee, Johnson County, seven cases.
• Wedding and Reception at the Barn, Leavenworth, Johnson County, six cases.
• Willows Bend, Carbondale, Osage County, nine cases.

Religious Gathering

• Free Will Baptist Church, Wellington, Sumner County, seven cases.
  
  

Private Businesses and Meatpacking Plants

• Cargill, Dodge City, Ford County, seven cases.
• Central Plastics Inc., McPherson, McPherson County, seven cases.
• Great Plains Manufacturing, Salina, Saline County, seven cases.
• National Beef, Dodge City, Ford County, seven cases.
• Wilde Tool Co., Hiawatha, Brown County, 10 cases.

Government

• Prairie Band of Potawatomi Tribal Police, Prairie Band Potawatomi Indian Reservation, Jackson County, seven cases.

Group Living Facility

• New Chance, Dodge City, Ford County, six cases.

Health Care Facility

• Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital, Topeka, Shawnee County, 19 cases.

Correctional Facilities

• Ellsworth Correctional Facility, Ellsworth, Ellsworth County, 16 cases.
  
  
• Hutchinson Correctional Facility, Hutchinson, Reno County, 77 cases.
• Norton Correctional Facility, Norton, Norton County, 31 cases.

Long-Term Care Facilities

• Aberdeen Village Assisted Living, Olathe, Johnson County, six cases.
• Andbe Home, Norton, Norton County, seven cases.
• Brewster Place, Topeka, Shawnee County, five cases.
  
  
• Brewster Place October, Topeka, Shawnee County, five cases.
• Brookdale Rosehill, Shawnee, Johnson County, six cases.
  
  
• ComfortCare Homes of Pittsburg, Pittsburg, Crawford County, nine cases.
• Goodlife Facility, Allen County, 10 cases.
• Guest Home Estates, Fort Scott, Bourbon County, 10 cases.
  
  
• Homestead of Olathe, Olathe, Johnson County, six cases.
• Homestead of Olathe Memory Unit, Olathe, Johnson County, seven cases.
• Life Care Center of Seneca, Seneca, Nemaha County, seven cases.
  
  
• Medicalodges Kinsley, Kinsley, Edwards County, 13 cases.
• Merriam Gardens, Shawnee, Johnson County, five cases.
  
  
• Moundridge Manor, Moundridge, McPherson County, 13 cases.
  
  
• Plaza West Healthcare and Rehab Center, Topeka, Shawnee County, eight cases.
  
  
• Rolling Hills Health and Rehab, Wichita, Sedgwick County, five cases.
  
  
• Rossville Healthcare and Rehab, Rossville, Shawnee County, five cases.
• St. Luke Living Center, Marion, Marion County, six cases.
• The Legacy on 10th Avenue, Topeka, Shawnee County, five cases.
• The Piper Assisted Living and Memory Care, Kansas City, Wyandotte County, eight cases.
• Topeka Presbyterian Manor, Topeka, Shawnee County, 14 cases.
• Wallace County Community Care Center, Sharon Springs, Wallace, seven cases.

This story was originally published November 4, 2020 at 5:39 PM.