Wichita-area hospitals have sounded the COVID-19 alarm. Will leaders listen?
Way back in July, a White House task force saw coronavirus numbers rising in Wichita and waved a bright red warning flag.
The White House report placed Sedgwick County in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases and urged county officials to use more restrictive public health mandates to slow the spread of the virus.
It called for 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%.
Commissioner Jim Howell — a consistent voice against stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, curfews and other similar measures — said at the time that he might be swayed to do more if Sedgwick County hospitals were unable to handle the surge of COVID-19 patients.
That day is here.
County officials said Tuesday that Ascension Via Christi and Wesley Medical Center have moved to “contingency operations” after reaching capacity on intensive care unit beds.
Ascension Via Christi reported its largest number of COVID-19 patients last week and added beds to prepare for more.
Now those beds are full, too. And Sedgwick County’s percent of positive cases, an indicator of community spread, has climbed higher than ever — an alarming 19.1% on Tuesday.
That’s well above the state’s red zone threshold for closing schools to in-person classes and stopping sports and other activities — a move local school boards will be forced to consider in coming days.
The numbers are bad, and indicators are getting worse. Hospital officials told county leaders that staffing is critical because of COVID-related sickness and quarantines. Both hospital networks are using traveling nurses and trying to get more.
So what now?
To start, Sedgwick County Commissioners, who also serve as the county’s Board of Health, must be united, candid and unequivocal in their message to the public:
The coronavirus continues to spread at a frightful pace, and we have to do something — all of us, together — to curb the spread and lessen the impact on our health care system.
We must wear masks. We must stay home whenever possible. We must avoid crowds — and even smaller family gatherings, including Thanksgiving, which could drive an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Unfortunately, many Wichitans aren’t willing to do even the minimum. A peek at some of the “Open Up Kansas” groups on social media shows people belittling the virus and refusing to mask up anywhere, anytime, regardless of who it might endanger.
That’s just selfish — and dangerous. We have to stop bickering and get serious, because this virus isn’t playing around.
The County Commission has twice rejected mask orders from Gov. Laura Kelly, though orders from county health officer Dr. Garold Minns have been allowed to stay in place. Minns extended his mandatory mask order until Dec. 9.
The latest word from Wichita-area hospitals shows we’re not doing enough to contain this pandemic.
Another red flag we shouldn’t ignore.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 4:06 PM.