Coronavirus updates: Kansas reports highest number of COVID-19 deaths
A couple of days after Gov. Laura Kelly announced a forthcoming statewide mask mandate Kansas has seen its most deadly COVID-19 report.
On Friday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an increase of 5,939 COVID-19 cases and a record 84 deaths since Wednesday. The previous record was 80 reported on Oct. 21, when 55 of the deaths were attributed to a reconciliation of death certificates. Friday’s report did not involve any reconciliation of deaths, according to a KDHE spokesperson.
The deaths included the fourth death in the 18 to 24 age group.
The 5,939 new cases are the third-highest since the KDHE started reporting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in mid-May. The highest was 7,234 cases reported on Monday.
Over the past week, Kansas has averaged 2,718 cases and 22 deaths each day. One month ago, Kansas was averaging daily cases in the 700s and deaths in the mid-teens.
The report comes on the heals of hospitals in large cities, including Wichita, saying they have filled up all its COVID-19 beds. Hospitalizations hit an all-time high of 1,039 on Thursday, according to the COVID-19 Tracking Project.
On Wednesday, Kelly announced a new statewide mask mandate that starts on Wednesday. Most counties opted out of Kelly’s first mandate in July. Counties will have the choice to opt-out of this one as well.
Sedgwick County closes in on Johnson County for most COVID-19 cases
Sedgwick County added 1,086 of the 5,939 newly-reported cases on Friday, according to the KDHE.
Sedgwick County has 23,476 cases, which are about 17.4% of all cases in Kansas. Sedgwick County had about 18% of the Kansas population in the 2010 U.S. Census.
Only Johnson County has more cases, with 23,891 — a difference of 415 cases. Roughly one month ago, Johnson County led Sedgwick County by 2,721 cases, according to KDHE figures.
Sedgwick County has reported 141 deaths, which is 10% of all deaths reported in Kansas.
Wichita library to move to curbside
The Wichita Public Library will move to curbside services starting on Wednesday, officials said Friday. The change is due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases in Sedgwick County. Customers can browse reading material online at wichitalibrary.org and put items on hold. Hold and transfer fees will be temporarily dropped. Customers will be notified when their items are ready to be picked up and they can call the number on the signs in the parking lot when they arrive. The Alford Branch at 3447 S. Meridian and the Advanced Learning Library at 711 W. Second will use drive-up windows.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 1:20 PM.