White House report calls for stricter coronavirus measures in Sedgwick County

The Sedgwick County Commission has no immediate plans to follow a White House task force report that lays out additional measures county officials should take to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A White House Coronavirus Task Force report released Thursday by the Center for Public Integrity places Sedgwick County in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases and says county officials should use more restrictive public health mandates to protect against the virus.

The White House report calls for Sedgwick County officials to close bars, nightclubs and gyms, issue orders limiting gatherings to 10 people, increase outdoor dining opportunities and cut indoor occupancy rates in restaurants to 25%.

Communities and states were considered in the red zone if they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the week prior to the July 14 report, which was prepared for the White House Coronavirus Task Force but not publicized, according to the Center.

Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner said Friday that he needed to give the report a closer look before commenting on whether he thinks further restrictions are needed, adding that the amount of data and number of opinions he receives about the coronavirus are “overwhelming.”

“It’s a lot to comprehend to try to figure out what’s real and what’s not,” Meitzner said.

“If our community is now saying whatever the White House says is what we ought to do, that could be interesting — because what if the White House comes out and says we should all open schools in three weeks?”

Meitzner’s comments highlight the commission’s hesitation to follow the advice of health officials at the county, state and now federal levels who have all called for more restrictions in Sedgwick County.

Commissioner Lacey Cruse, the lone board member to consistently push for tighter restrictions throughout the pandemic, said the rise in cases calls for new restrictions to fight the virus.

“It’s definitely time to look into stronger measures,” Cruse said. “We have a responsibility to slow the spread of this virus and we need to take measures to do that.”

She said having safety measures in place will help ensure that children can return to school safely and the economy can begin to recover.

“We have to have healthy people to have a healthy economy,” she said. “We have to have people who feel safe when they enter a business.”

Unfortunately, Cruse said, other commissioners have turned a public health emergency into a political issue.

“I don’t really know what the other commissioners are thinking,” she said. “I know that if we don’t do something, we’re only going to see more people end up in the hospital.”

County commissioners not fully convinced

As of Friday, Cruse was the only commissioner calling for immediate action in response to the White House report and the rapid rise in cases.

Commissioners David Dennis and Jim Howell both said they’re concerned about the spread of the virus in Sedgwick County but aren’t ready to increase restrictions without more information.

Dennis said he wants to know what Dr. Garold Minns, the county’s health officer, thinks the commission should do. The commission will likely get an update from Minns on Tuesday, he said, which could drive any upcoming decisions.

“We’re all concerned that the numbers are going in the wrong direction right now,” Dennis said. “So there may have to be some additional guidance provided to the community if we can’t get this under control. Our biggest worry is getting the kids back in school and keeping the economy going.”

Howell voiced similar concerns as Meitzner about what is real and what is not, specifically questioning the reliability of information coming from the county’s health department.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes, but I have to understand the data to know where we’re at and what needs to be done,” he said. “From the data I do have access to, I’m not convinced that we’re ready to take the next step yet.”

Howell said he would support following the White House recommendations if he could be convinced that Sedgwick County hospitals are unable to handle the recent surge of new patients.

“If our hospitals are nearing capacity, then those things in the White House report would have to happen, and I would support them,” Howell said. “But we’re not nearing capacity.”

Howell said the county’s hospitalization data is unreliable, citing inconsistencies between data provided by the Sedgwick County Health Department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Wichita’s two major hospital systems, Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Healthcare, do not provide data to county commissioners, who serve as the County Board of Health, on how many people are in the hospital on any given day or how many beds and ventilators are available.

Instead, the county updates its COVID-19 dashboard each week, providing a snapshot of new admissions, patients under investigation and ICU beds in use the week before. It also includes an assessment of hospital capacity.

As of Monday, Sedgwick County was listed as “moderate” with 27 ICU beds in use for COVID-19.

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple announced Monday that hospitals could reach capacities this month as the number of COVID-19 patients surge, based on a weekly call with hospital leaders and city and county officials.

Whipple’s warning came as Sedgwick County Health Department reported that Wesley Healthcare and Ascension Via Christi are converting rooms to intensive care units. That reduces the capacity for other patients.

Howell said there’s a disconnect between that assessment and numbers provided by the state on the number of ICU beds available. For Sedgwick County, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s website lists 1,020 ICU beds. Howell said that’s likely the number for the whole state, but he said even so it would be fair to expect the county to have at least 200 ICU beds.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t be concerned,” Howell said. “This is a serious virus. I want to treat this with respect, but I want us to be honest about the numbers. I want to understand what they mean. I don’t want someone to tell me we only have eight ICU beds when, in fact, we have a lot more.”

Surge in cases follows county reopening

The coronavirus remained mostly contained in Sedgwick County through the early months of the pandemic as the commission and then the governor issued stay-home orders and mass-gathering bans in late March.

Many businesses deemed “non-essential” — bars, nightclubs, gyms, salons and barbershops — were forced to close for months. The state was plagued with record unemployment and a massive economic downturn, but coronavirus cases remained mostly stable across the state.

In late May, the Sedgwick Commission reopened all businesses with no restrictions despite warnings from county health officials, Gov. Laura Kelly and the state’s top doctor that lifting restrictions too soon could be a disaster.

In the two months since, the coronavirus has exploded in the Wichita area with 1,898 new cases since May 26 and infections far outpacing recoveries. Hospitalizations are also at the highest levels they’ve been since the pandemic began.

Despite calls by the county’s health leaders — Minns and Health Department Director Adrienne Byrne — to mandate mask wearing and limit gathering sizes, the commission voted against requiring masks in early July.

Frustrated with the inaction of commissioners, Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple called an emergency City Council meeting July 3, where the council mandated masks in the city limits, where about 75% of Sedgwick County residents live.

Days later, Minns issued a countywide public health order requiring masks in public places and limiting gatherings to 45 people. The commission did not move to overrule Minns’ order.

Meitzner expressed frustration Friday with the current political climate surrounding the pandemic and would not say whether he favored the recommendations from the White House task force.

“What is it that you want? Do you really want to say that you’re endorsing what the White House says now, knowing that three or four weeks from now they could say something that some people don’t agree with?” Meitzner said. “I mean, I’m not into this ‘pick and choose what I like and don’t like.’ I’m trying to get this solved to get kids in school and keep businesses open.”

Howell said he respects the task force’s recommendation. But any public health decisions about the coronavirus response should be made at the local level, he said.

“The White House might make that recommendation, but ultimately I think it needs to be a local decision what we do.”

Howell, who has voted against restrictions throughout the pandemic, said he wants to find a balance between restrictions and freedom that keeps people protected from the virus without putting people out of work.

“Whatever we end up doing, it’s not going to be for just a month,” Howell said. “We need to find something that works and stick to it, whether it’s masks or something else. COVID is not going to just disappear.”

Commissioner Michael O’Donnell, who has voted against most restrictions on businesses, could not be reached on Friday.

This story was originally published July 19, 2020 at 6:00 AM.