Masks, vaccine status, ages and timeline: What you need to know about Wichita’s response to delta
An uptick of COVID-19 in Kansas, mostly driven by the delta variant, has brought the mask mandate discussion to Wichita.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly started a mask mandate Monday for all state employees, and visitors to state buildings in counties with high and substantial transmission of COVID-19 would be required to wear a mask. That would apply to most counties in the state.
Kelly’s recommendation came on the heels of new guidance at the federal level. The CDC now recommends masks indoors for everyone, even if they’ve been vaccinated.
On Tuesday, Sedgwick County health officer Dr. Garold Minns told county commissioners there needs to be a strong recommendation to mask up, at the very least. Minns had previously implemented a countywide mask policy when commissioners hesitated to act.
“Right now delta (variant) comprises over 90% of all our COVID strains in the United States,” Minns said.
Here’s what you need to know about all the changes:
Are there mask restrictions in Wichita or fines for not masking?
There are currently no mask restrictions in place, though businesses can require patrons to wear masks.
City Hall doesn’t require masks for vaccinated people, but no one is checking vaccine status. There is no fine for not wearing a mask. However, people refusing to leave a business because of a mask dispute can be arrested for trespassing and fined in connection to the incident.
Where can I get a vaccine?
A list of places to receive the free vaccine can be found at vaccine.gov. You must be 12 or older to receive a vaccine, and no health insurance is required. The KDHE has a COVID-19 testing map at coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing.
Do you need to carry proof of vaccination?
If you have a vaccination card, you might as well carry it, though it seems unlikely anyone will ask you to show it. Most places that mandate masks do so for everyone.
Do Wichita Public Schools require masks?
That will be determined soon. USD 259 families will receive new recommendations from the district Thursday and those recommendations will be made to the Board of Education Monday. The board previously delegated the COVID decisions to the superintendent, who said in June that masks would be optional. New recommendations likely mean a change in policy is coming, probably due to the spike in cases. Wichita hospitals are reporting more patients and the percent of positive cases in the county is trending up.
How did the delta variant happen and will there be more variants?
Kansas has a dozen COVID-19 variants, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The longer a virus lives, the more it will mutate, according to Ascension Via Christi Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sam Antonios.
“The longer it has the opportunity to reside inside hosts, which are human, it will mutate and try to identify a way to survive longer inside a host, which means that it will change its molecular biology to find ways to survive longer,” Antonios told commissioners Tuesday.
He said he thinks the delta variant, which is more contagious than other strains, has led to more children being infected, dropping the median age of people they see hospitalized with COVID. Still, more than 90% of the people hospitalized are not vaccinated, he said.
Is an N95 mask needed to prevent transmission of the delta variant?
Aside from the vaccine, health officials say social distancing and face masks are still the best ways to protect oneself from contracting the virus, including the delta variant.
Early data indicates that the delta variant is better at exploiting the weaknesses of poorly-fitted, lower-quality cloth masks. Public health experts have been urging people to use N95 masks because they provide more protection than cloth masks and their availability has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic.
“The quality of mask is going to make a difference with a variant that spreads more aggressively like delta does, where people are more contagious and exude more virus,” former FDA director Dr. Scott Gotlieb said recently on CBS’ Face the Nation.
Can fully vaccinated people still eat safely in restaurants?
People distanced 6-feet apart from other patrons while consuming food or drink in a restaurant are not required to wear a mask under the new mandate. It is important to note that the risk of COVID-19 spread increases in a restaurant or bar when you are interacting with people within 6 feet of you, according to the CDC.
Can employers require you to be vaccinated?
Yes. Some large employers in Kansas have already started to require employees to be vaccinated.
Ascension Via Christi said in July it would require employees and vendors to be vaccinated by Nov. 12. The healthcare system operates hospitals and specialty clinics in Wichita, Manhattan, Pittsburg and Wamego. Tyson Foods, which has more than 5,600 employees in its six Kansas facilities, said in August it would require its employees to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1. Those employees will receive $200 each for proving they’ve been vaccinated.
Wichita State University president Richard Muma cited the increase of the delta variant in the community for implementing a mask mandate Tuesday. It applies to campus classrooms and laboratories.
Vaccine and testing options
About 50% of the country is fully vaccinated, Minns said, and the other half don’t seem to want it. The most valuable tool to fighting the virus is the vaccine, he said.
“The vaccine essentially eliminated almost all risk of death from this virus,” he said. “It reduces tremendously the likelihood you will need to be in the ICU. It reduces significantly the likelihood you will end up on a ventilator.”
The other tools are social distancing, sanitation, masks, testing and contact tracing, he said. Minns emphasized the power of masks, comparing the low number of influenza last season when there was a mask mandate.
Contributing: The Associated Press and Ellen Hine and Maxwell Adler at The Kansas City Star
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 1:40 PM.