COVID-19 isn’t over in Wichita. Why is everyone acting like it is?
Make no mistake: COVID-19 remains a serious threat in Wichita.
Unlike most of Kansas, Sedgwick County is seeing a spike in the number of active cases, the rate of positive cases and the number of coronavirus clusters.
Twenty-three people have died from the virus so far. And despite what you may believe, not all victims are elderly or infirm, says Garold Minns, Sedgwick County’s health officer.
“We’ve seen people in their 30s and 40s that became deathly ill and have had to be in the ICU for a number of days, if not weeks,” Minns told Sedgwick County commissioners during a staff meeting Tuesday.
Last month Minns advised county leaders to keep several restrictions in place and to limit the size of public gatherings, but commissioners ignored that advice and dropped all restrictions in the county.
Since then, Wichita traffic is back to normal, crowds are packing Old Town nightclubs, restaurants are bustling, large crowds have gathered to protest, and aside from occasional face masks worn by responsible shoppers, it looks like the pandemic is history.
It’s not.
Recently Minns sounded another warning. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly called out Sedgwick County’s troubling data and said its indifferent response to the coronavirus threat could endanger public health and the reopening of school buildings in the fall.
Sedgwick County’s active cases have almost doubled since the commission lifted restrictions, according to the county’s COVID-19 dashboard. Nearby counties also report increases. Even more alarming is that the rolling 14-day average of the percent of positive tests is at 4%, the highest it’s been since May 10.
The numbers aren’t good. Rather than shrugging off Minns’ advice once again, elected officials should provide clear direction and lead by example, reminding people that COVID-19 won’t take a summer vacation.
Residents, meanwhile, should renew their commitment to coronavirus safety precautions — including avoiding crowds and wearing face masks in public places where social distancing isn’t possible.
We all must take the virus seriously and follow quarantine instructions carefully. What happens when we don’t? A recent case in nearby Cowley County spells it out:
A teenager with coronavirus symptoms who was awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test attended a sleepover and visited a public swimming pool, possibly exposing numerous people to the virus.
It’s easy to think COVID-19 is over, particularly if we feel healthy and don’t personally know anyone ill with the virus. It also feels good to resume some sense of normal life — and to see our economy slowly recover — after weeks of closures, quarantines and shutdowns.
But the virus isn’t gone. Leaders must continue to monitor data carefully and take immediate action — including reinstating stay-at-home restrictions — if local hospitals sound the alarm.
And the rest of us shouldn’t let our guard down, no matter how tempting it may be.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 3:57 PM.