Sedgwick County shuns doctor’s coronavirus advice to keep buffets, playgrounds closed

Sedgwick County ignored its top doctor’s advice Friday to close Wichita-area buffets, self-service fountain drinks and playgrounds while the county gradually reopens some businesses and activities that were shuttered under Gov. Laura Kelly’s stay-at-home order set to expire Monday.

Garold Minns, the county’s health officer and dean of the KU School of Medicine in Wichita, said he largely agrees with Kelly, who announced that her statewide stay-at-home order would end but suggested Friday that the Sedgwick County Commission adopt further restrictions to help keep the spread of the virus contained.

“We do feel like there should be two additional things we would place on the governor’s order (that are) more restrictive,” Minns told the commission during a special meeting Friday to go over the reopening plan.

“They’re minor things, but I think I would suggest that we continue our restriction on playground equipment being used since it’s very difficult to sanitize that after each use by different individuals,” Minns said.

While parks in Sedgwick County have remained open, playground equipment has been off-limits since late March after the county ordered and then the state extended stay-at-home orders and gathering bans to thwart the spread of COVID-19. Minns said the way the virus spreads is not well understood at this time but is thought to be transmitted primarily through droplets on surfaces.

“Secondly, I don’t think it was addressed in her (Kelly’s) order, but we would prefer that our restaurants close their buffets and self-serve services. And our convenience stores close their self-service because, again, those are hard to police,” Minns said.

Minns said the additional restrictions would fall in line with discussions the county has been holding with restaurant industry groups, who suggested not allowing buffets or self-service inside eating establishments.

The recommendations from the industry leaders are non-binding, and thus buffets will be allowed to reopen under the governor’s latest order.

Lauren Fitzgerald, spokesperson with Kelly’s office, said in an email statement Friday that restaurants are expected to adhere to the National Restaurant Association’s reopening guidance.

“Where salad bars and buffets are permitted by local/state officials, they must have sneeze guards in place. Change, wash and sanitize utensils frequently and place appropriate barriers in open areas. Alternatively, cafeteria style (worker served) is permissible with appropriate barriers in place,” the group’s food safety guidance says.

That seems to be at odds with recommendations by the Food and Drug Administration included in the same packet released by the National Restaurant Association. The FDA guidance directs restaurant owners to “avoid displays that may result in customer gatherings, discontinue self-service buffets and salad bars.”

There was no further discussion about playgrounds, but the general tenor of the meeting was the commission had no appetite to further restrict businesses beyond the governor’s orders.

Friday’s special meeting was the first since Thursday night when Kelly released her plan for reopening the state.

By adding no further restrictions, Sedgwick County leaders are poised to do exactly what Kelly urged against.

When Kelly unveiled the framework of her plan, she emphasized that it isn’t a suggestion that local communities roll back safety measures automatically because they can. Instead, her framework should be considered a “floor, not a ceiling” for local governments, she said.

Minns’ suggestion seemed to go completely ignored until Commissioner Lacey Cruse brought it back to bench for discussion.

“So we will not be taking the recommended action of our doctor to close buffets and playgrounds?” Cruse said. “I’m just asking because I feel like we need to address that.

“I don’t want to close anything, let me just make myself clear,” Cruse said. “I don’t want to close anything. But I think it’s important for us to be clear.”

Commission Chair Pete Meitzner said, “The QuikTrips ... everybody’s closed the fountain drinks.”

“I love buffets,” Cruse whispered into her microphone, which got a chuckle out of Meitzner.

“I like buffets, too,” Meitzner said.

Commissioner David Dennis scoffed at the idea of adding the restrictions, saying they’re unnecessary because restaurants will follow their own guidelines.

Minns and the commission held a public conference call with business leaders last Friday to discuss reopening. The leaders told the commission they wanted clear and uniform guidance.

John Arnold, president of the Kansas Restaurant Association, told the commission last Friday that no self-serving foods, including toppings bars, or buffets should be available when restaurants first reopen.

“What I heard Friday on that conference call was that the restaurants have already put together their protocols, and their protocol said they’re not going to have buffets. So I don’t know that we need to address that if it’s in the protocols,” Dennis said.

“I think that’s probably the feeling,” Meitzner said. “I think what you said is probably the feeling.”

This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 3:18 PM.