Due to pending COVID tests and staffing issues, O’Loughlin Elementary School will
move to a remote learning environment for the remainder of this week –
Thursday, Sept. 24, and Friday, Sept. 25.


On-site learning will resume Monday, Sept. 28, unless notified otherwise. This
decision is made in an effort to ensure the health and safety of our students and
staff. This time will also allow for continual cleaning and disinfecting of the
building. The understanding and flexibility of our families and community is
greatly appreciated.


For the next two days, Sept. 24 and 25, O'Loughlin Elementary students will have
the opportunity to receive breakfast and lunch from the school. Please sign up by
8 a.m. Thursday, September 24th, <a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=94UWZhZ47ECINHQtXXKlDdJpxWjOWCdCqMUEsp5h4phUOUFDMUNKMFc3OTc4U1dIRkk3OEJZSlFWTi4u">using this link.
</a>

This link will ask you to indicate the days meals are being requested. This is
needed to ensure the kitchen prepares the correct amount of food. Meals are
free for all students. Pick-up will be at O'Loughlin Elementary School cafeteria
door from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. both Thursday and Friday. Menus can be found at
www.usd489.com. Contact Jessica Younker at jyounker@usd489.com if you have
questions.


All USD 489 families&nbsp;are asked to continue monitoring their child(ren) for any COVID symptoms using the screening tool on the USD 489 website or by clicking <a href="https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/845798/At_Home_Assessment.pdf">HERE</a>.

Hays USD 489Due to pending COVID tests and staffing issues, O’Loughlin Elementary School will
move to a remote learning environment for the remainder of this week –
Thursday, Sept. 24, and Friday, Sept. 25.
On-site learning will resume Monday, Sept. 28, unless notified otherwise. This
decision is made in an effort to ensure the health and safety of our students and
staff. This time will also allow for continual cleaning and disinfecting of the
building. The understanding and flexibility of our families and community is
greatly appreciated.
For the next two days, Sept. 24 and 25, O'Loughlin Elementary students will have
the opportunity to receive breakfast and lunch from the school. Please sign up by
8 a.m. Thursday, September 24th, <a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=94UWZhZ47ECINHQtXXKlDdJpxWjOWCdCqMUEsp5h4phUOUFDMUNKMFc3OTc4U1dIRkk3OEJZSlFWTi4u">using this link.
</a>This link will ask you to indicate the days meals are being requested. This is
needed to ensure the kitchen prepares the correct amount of food. Meals are
free for all students. Pick-up will be at O'Loughlin Elementary School cafeteria
door from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. both Thursday and Friday. Menus can be found at
www.usd489.com. Contact Jessica Younker at jyounker@usd489.com if you have
questions.
All USD 489 families&nbsp;are asked to continue monitoring their child(ren) for any COVID symptoms using the screening tool on the USD 489 website or by clicking <a href="https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/845798/At_Home_Assessment.pdf">HERE</a>.— USD 489 release

O'Loughlin will move to remote learning remainder of the week

The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday reported the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases per day fell slightly since Monday to 17.

The department said 33 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified since Monday. There are now 183 active cases, including three active hospitalizations, and 736 recoveries.

The seven-day percent of positive tests was 27.1 percent. Of the 7,731 total tests returned, 11.4 percent, or 878, have returned positive.

Since reporting began, there have been 922 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including three deaths.

NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600883320024.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday reported the seven-day average of new coronavirus cases per day fell slightly since Monday to 17.The department said 33 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified since Monday. There are now 183 active cases, including three active hospitalizations, and 736 recoveries.The seven-day percent of positive tests was 27.1 percent. Of the 7,731 total tests returned, 11.4 percent, or 878, have returned positive.Since reporting began, there have been 922 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including three deaths.NOTE:&nbsp;"New cases" reflects cases reported by the Ellis County Health Department between regular reporting periods of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. "Total cases" reflects all cases reported by the department. Because of delayed test results, total cases might include cases prior to the previous reporting period, so the figures might not necessarily correspond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600885367449.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis Co. reports average of 17 new virus cases per day in last week

Johnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.

The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.

U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.

“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.

But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.

Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.

Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”

And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”

A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.

Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.

Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.

J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600861747887.png" alt="Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson" />
 <figcaption>Vaccine photo courtesy Johnson &amp; Johnson</figcaption>
 </figure>By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated PressJohnson &amp; Johnson is beginning a huge final study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus.The study starting Wednesday will be one of the world's largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing the shot in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.A handful of other vaccines in the U.S. — including shots made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. — and others in other countries are already in final-stage testing. Hopes are high that answers about at least one candidate being tested in the U.S. could come by year's end, maybe sooner.U.S. health officials insist the race for a vaccine isn't cutting corners.“We want to do everything we can without sacrificing safety or efficacy — we’re not going to do that — to make sure that we end up with vaccines that are going to save lives,” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told reporters.But many vaccine specialists question whether the Food and Drug Administration will stick to that goal under intense pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has consistently presented a faster timeline for a new vaccine than experts say is adequate to fully test the candidates.Meanwhile, testing of still another experimental vaccine, made by AstraZeneca, remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine a safety question, even though studies have resumed in other countries.Earlier this week, Vice President Mike Pence urged state governors to "do your part to build public confidence that it will be a safe and effective vaccine.”And Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, added in the call to governors that he is confident in “a tried and true process” that has checks and balances built in, including an independent board evaluating the progress of each vaccine trial, as well as “the integrity of the FDA.”A recording of the call was provided to The Associated Press.Senators were scheduled to question FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Fauci and other administration officials later Wednesday about the pandemic response.Even if the FDA were to allow emergency use of a vaccine by year's end, supplies would be limited and given first to vulnerable groups such as health workers. Most Americans aren't likely to receive a vaccine until sometime next year.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants states to get ready now to roll out vaccinations, which will present enormous logistical challenges. On Wednesday the CDC was set to announce distribution of $200 million in congressionally approved funds to help begin setting up operations.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the COVID-19 vaccine campaign will build on longstanding cooperation between the federal government and the states on immunizations.J&amp;J's vaccine is made with slightly different technology than others in late-stage testing, modeled on an Ebola vaccine the company created. Unlike the other three vaccines that started late-stage testing in the U.S., it requires only one shot, not two. Despite a later start to testing than some of its competitors, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&amp;J's chief scientific officer, told reporters that the study was large enough to yield answers possibly by early next year.___

Late-stage study of first single-shot vaccine begins in US

KANSAS CITY – The University of Kansas Medical Center has announced it will be participating in a unique nationwide clinical trial that will allow for the testing of multiple agents to fight COVID-19. 

Known as ACTIV-2 (Adapt Out COVID), this trial is part of the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines effort announced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) this spring. &nbsp;

Mario Castro, M.D., MPH, vice chair for clinical and translational research and a pulmonologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, will serve as principal investigator for the KU Medical Center site, along with co-investigator Leslie Spikes, M.D., assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the KU School of Medicine. 

This trial will test treatments for participants currently infected with SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing mild-to-moderate COVID-19 that does not require hospitalization.&nbsp;

“ACTIV-2 is a creative trial design that provides a platform to allow you to get started and to introduce different agents as they become available,” Castro said. “New potential treatments can be added under the same trial protocol.”&nbsp;

The first agent to be tested at KU Medical Center is a monoclonal antibody owned by Eli Lilly and Company, LY3819253, that will be given as a one-time dose intravenously. 

Antibodies are infection-fighting proteins produced by immune cells. This antibody was isolated from a blood sample from a recovered COVID-19 patient, then synthesized in a laboratory. “Monoclonal” refers to an antibody manufactured in a laboratory. Castro noted that this is a neutralizing antibody that completely blocks a protein associated with the virus and neutralizes the virus itself.&nbsp;

“This monoclonal antibody was developed to specifically target the spike protein in COVID-19,” Castro said. “As physicians, we use monoclonal antibodies every day to treat other diseases, such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis.”&nbsp;

KU Medical Center is one of at least 40 sites across the nation that will be participating in this clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH.&nbsp;

It is critical to find treatments for outpatients, Castro notes, in part because there is no clinically proven outpatient treatment for SARS-CoV2.

Remdesivir, which has shown benefit to hospitalized patients and has been authorized by the FDA for emergency use for inpatients, must be given intravenously and is not suitable for outpatients.&nbsp;

Co-investigator Spikes explains that outpatient treatment options for COVID-19 are critical to lessening hospitalizations.

 “This is a very important trial to help us find outpatient treatments for COVID-positive patients to hopefully prevent further hospitalizations, long-term complications and deaths from this devastating disease,” Spikes said.&nbsp;

Castro notes that the purpose of this phase 2/3 trial is to reduce symptoms and length of illness. “Once you get sick from this coronavirus, there are lingering effects from weeks to months,” he said. “If we could have a therapy that could lessen the length of that illness, it would be very powerful.”&nbsp;

KU Medical Center aims to recruit participants into the study who are within 10 days of the onset of symptoms and within seven days of a positive test. 

Those with active symptoms can contact the study coordinator, Luigi Boccardi, at 913-588-4022. 

KU Medical Center is partnering with The University of Kansas Health System to recruit participants through its outpatient clinics and swab clinics as well.&nbsp;

NIAID is the regulatory sponsor and holder of the investigational drug application to conduct the ACTIV-2 study. The trial is being funded by NIAID through “Operation Warp Speed,” a partnership led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to invest in and coordinate the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.&nbsp;

The clinical trial is one of four ongoing or planned trials in NIH’s Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) program, a public-private partnership and initiative to speed development of the most promising treatments and vaccine candidates. 

For more information, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-clinical-trial-test-antibodies-and-other-experimental-therapeutics-mild-and" target="_blank">NIH website</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600896779586.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>UKMCKANSAS CITY – The University of Kansas Medical Center has announced it will be participating in a unique nationwide clinical trial that will allow for the testing of multiple agents to fight COVID-19. Known as ACTIV-2 (Adapt Out COVID), this trial is part of the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines effort announced by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) this spring. &nbsp;Mario Castro, M.D., MPH, vice chair for clinical and translational research and a pulmonologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, will serve as principal investigator for the KU Medical Center site, along with co-investigator Leslie Spikes, M.D., assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the KU School of Medicine. This trial will test treatments for participants currently infected with SARS-CoV-2 and experiencing mild-to-moderate COVID-19 that does not require hospitalization.&nbsp;“ACTIV-2 is a creative trial design that provides a platform to allow you to get started and to introduce different agents as they become available,” Castro said. “New potential treatments can be added under the same trial protocol.”&nbsp;The first agent to be tested at KU Medical Center is a monoclonal antibody owned by Eli Lilly and Company, LY3819253, that will be given as a one-time dose intravenously. Antibodies are infection-fighting proteins produced by immune cells. This antibody was isolated from a blood sample from a recovered COVID-19 patient, then synthesized in a laboratory. “Monoclonal” refers to an antibody manufactured in a laboratory. Castro noted that this is a neutralizing antibody that completely blocks a protein associated with the virus and neutralizes the virus itself.&nbsp;“This monoclonal antibody was developed to specifically target the spike protein in COVID-19,” Castro said. “As physicians, we use monoclonal antibodies every day to treat other diseases, such as asthma or rheumatoid arthritis.”&nbsp;KU Medical Center is one of at least 40 sites across the nation that will be participating in this clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the NIH.&nbsp;It is critical to find treatments for outpatients, Castro notes, in part because there is no clinically proven outpatient treatment for SARS-CoV2.Remdesivir, which has shown benefit to hospitalized patients and has been authorized by the FDA for emergency use for inpatients, must be given intravenously and is not suitable for outpatients.&nbsp;Co-investigator Spikes explains that outpatient treatment options for COVID-19 are critical to lessening hospitalizations. “This is a very important trial to help us find outpatient treatments for COVID-positive patients to hopefully prevent further hospitalizations, long-term complications and deaths from this devastating disease,” Spikes said.&nbsp;Castro notes that the purpose of this phase 2/3 trial is to reduce symptoms and length of illness. “Once you get sick from this coronavirus, there are lingering effects from weeks to months,” he said. “If we could have a therapy that could lessen the length of that illness, it would be very powerful.”&nbsp;KU Medical Center aims to recruit participants into the study who are within 10 days of the onset of symptoms and within seven days of a positive test. Those with active symptoms can contact the study coordinator, Luigi Boccardi, at 913-588-4022. KU Medical Center is partnering with The University of Kansas Health System to recruit participants through its outpatient clinics and swab clinics as well.&nbsp;NIAID is the regulatory sponsor and holder of the investigational drug application to conduct the ACTIV-2 study. The trial is being funded by NIAID through “Operation Warp Speed,” a partnership led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to invest in and coordinate the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.&nbsp;The clinical trial is one of four ongoing or planned trials in NIH’s Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) program, a public-private partnership and initiative to speed development of the most promising treatments and vaccine candidates. For more information, see the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-clinical-trial-test-antibodies-and-other-experimental-therapeutics-mild-and" target="_blank">NIH website</a>.&nbsp;

UKMC participates in clinical trial to speed testing of COVID-19 outpatient treatments  

CORRECTED, 4 p.m. Tuesday: Due to a change in Ellis County reporting methods, the numbers reported Monday were incorrect. The corrected story is below.

Ellis County averaged 18 new cases of COVID-19 per day in the last seven days, the health department reported Monday. The metric is a new reporting method also announced by the county Monday, and new cases between reporting periods is currently no longer available for the public.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f74ff266-1cc8-498d-b148-a17ed68eaa42">RELATED: Ellis County announced Monday a change in its case reporting.</a>

Hays Post has filed a Kansas Open Records Act request with county officials to return the new cases to the regular reporting days of Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

There are now 193 active cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including six active hospitalizations, and 689 recovered cases.&nbsp;

The seven-day percent of positive tests rose to nearly 30 percent. Of the 7,580 total tests conducted on county residents, 11.3 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.

Since reporting began, there have been 885 total cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County, including three deaths. The number of total cases jumped from 738 since Friday as the county health department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment continues to work to make case reporting consistent. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a05345cc-9d08-4622-b2e7-b9bc0c5f439e">The state reported 870 cases in Ellis County on Monday.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600711322886.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CORRECTED, 4 p.m. Tuesday: Due to a change in Ellis County reporting methods, the numbers reported Monday were incorrect. The corrected story is below.Ellis County averaged 18 new cases of COVID-19 per day in the last seven days, the health department reported Monday. The metric is a new reporting method also announced by the county Monday, and new cases between reporting periods is currently no longer available for the public.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f74ff266-1cc8-498d-b148-a17ed68eaa42">RELATED: Ellis County announced Monday a change in its case reporting.</a>Hays Post has filed a Kansas Open Records Act request with county officials to return the new cases to the regular reporting days of Monday, Wednesday and Friday.There are now 193 active cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including six active hospitalizations, and 689 recovered cases.&nbsp;The seven-day percent of positive tests rose to nearly 30 percent. Of the 7,580 total tests conducted on county residents, 11.3 percent have returned positive for coronavirus.Since reporting began, there have been 885 total cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County, including three deaths. The number of total cases jumped from 738 since Friday as the county health department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment continues to work to make case reporting consistent. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/a05345cc-9d08-4622-b2e7-b9bc0c5f439e">The state reported 870 cases in Ellis County on Monday.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600808158884.png" alt="The Ellis County COVID-19 dashboard as of Tuesday afternoon, using the new seven-day average metric." />
 <figcaption>The Ellis County COVID-19 dashboard as of Tuesday afternoon, using the new seven-day average metric.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600716289684.png" alt="The Ellis County COVID-19 dashboard as of Monday afternoon, when the original story was published." />
 <figcaption>The Ellis County COVID-19 dashboard as of Monday afternoon, when the original story was published.</figcaption>
 </figure>

UPDATE: 18 new cases per day of COVID-19 in Ellis Co. reported in last week

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.

The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.

“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.

Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.

That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.

“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”

The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.

In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.

The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.

Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.

Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.

Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.

She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”

“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.

TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said Monday she is increasingly concerned the state does not have the infrastructure and policies in place to stop a continuing increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F375702983819963%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 53,959 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 600 deaths since the pandemic began. That’s an increase of 1,674 cases and four deaths over the weekend.The governor said the state has consistently confirmed an average of about 500 new cases per day in the recent weeks, particularly as schools are reopening, sports have resumed and flu season is quickly approaching.“We knew this was coming, we knew we could prepare for it but because we failed to implement a coherent, coordinated mask policy, because we have taken an ineffective, patchwork approach to our COVID-19 response, cases and deaths continue to rise,” she said.Early in the pandemic, Kelly issued statewide mandates to wear masks and close some businesses but the GOP-led Legislature pushed back and passed a law that requires a Republican-majority council to approve the governor’s emergency executive orders. That led to allowing counties to decide individually if they would follow the orders.That lack of a coherent, statewide response to the coronavirus — along with Kansas Republican leaders’ refusal to expand Medicaid — endangers residents’ lives and is a factor that companies consider when deciding whether to move to Kansas, she said.“We must provide prospective employers with certainty that their employees and their families will have access to affordable health care,” she said. “Our state path to economic growth is dependent upon healthy Kansans.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600708052188.png" alt="Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 21, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The county health department said the positive case involved a person at Timber Creek Elementary School in the Blue Valley district, but they did not say if a student or staff member was infected.In Johnson County, health officials urged more than 100 people who had contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19 at an elementary school in Overland Park to quarantine for 14 days, but some parents are objecting to the recommendation.The department sent a letter Saturday to Blue Valley Superintendent Tonya Merrigan, urging affected individuals to abide by the quarantine.Sanmi Areola, county health director, said on Monday that the 14-day quarantine is the appropriate action to contain the spread, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article245891520.html" target="_blank">reported</a>.Elementary students returned to a mix of remote and in-person schooling in Blue Valley on Sept. 9. The district currently plans to bring elementary students back to in-person classes full time on Oct. 5.Several parents who want to return now to full-time, in-person classes protested at the school Sunday. Christine White, a pediatrician who has frequently called for schools to reopen, hosted the rally.She said in a Facebook post that the quarantine was a “massive overreaction.”“Please understand that if we let this action by the health department and school go unchecked and we let them slide, then they will know we have a breaking point where we will just lay down and accept the crumbs of an education for our children,” she wrote.----------

🎥  Governor concerned about state's response to coronavirus

NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.

But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.

It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.

The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.

Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.

In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.

Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.

But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.

The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.

But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.

The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.

Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”

“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.

At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.

“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee last week in Washington -photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The top U.S. public health agency stirred confusion by posting — and then taking down — an apparent change in its position on how easily the coronavirus can spread from person to person through the air.But officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say their position has not really changed and that the post last week on the agency’s website was an error that has been taken down.It was “an honest mistake” that happened when a draft update was posted before going through a full editing and approval process, said Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious diseases.The post suggested that the agency believes the virus can hang in the air and spread over an extended distance. But the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission, Butler said.Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that about 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.In interviews, CDC officials have acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes be transmitted on even smaller, aerosolized particles or droplets that spread over a wider area. Certain case clusters have been tied to events in which the virus appeared to have spread through the air in, for example, a choir practice. But such incidents did not appear to be common.Public health experts urge people to wear masks, which can stop or reduce contact with both larger droplets and aerosolized particles.But for months, agency officials said little about aerosolized particles. So when the CDC quietly posted an update Friday that discussed the particles in more detail, the agency’s position appeared to have changed. The post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet. It also emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation and seemed to describe the coronavirus as the kind of germ that can spread widely through the air.The post caused widespread discussion in public health circles because of its implications. It could mean, for example, that hospitals might have to place infected people in rooms that are specially designed to prevent air from flowing to other parts of the hospital.But the CDC is not advising any changes in how far people stay away from each other, how they are housed at hospitals or other measures, Butler said.The CDC has come under attack for past revisions of guidance during the pandemic, some of which were driven by political pressure by the Trump administration.Butler said there was no external political pressure behind the change in this instance. “This was an internal issue,. And we’re working hard to address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.In a statement released Monday, the CDC said the revisions to the “How COVID-19 Spreads” page happened “without appropriate in-house technical review.”“We are reviewing our process and tightening criteria for review of all guidance and updates before they are posted to the CDC website,” the statement said.At least one expert said the episode could further chip away at public confidence in the CDC.“The consistent inconsistency in this administration’s guidance on COVID-19 has severely compromised the nation’s trust in our public health agencies,” said Dr. Howard Koh, a Harvard University public health professor who was a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama administration.

CDC changes, then retracts, web posting on how virus spreads

The Ellis County Health Department on Monday announced it would begin reporting seven-day averages of new COVID-19 cases in an attempt to better show trends of spread or decline in the county.

The department said the change is because of the wide variance in the time it take to return tests, noting some tests are taking three to 10 days to be returned.

"By reporting seven-day
averages, the data will be more consistent with showing trends of case growth or decline.
Ellis County is currently experiencing another increase in both percent of positives and cases per day," the department said in a news release. "This is not the direction we want to be heading into flu season. We must make better choices&nbsp; and continue to follow best practices as we work through this public health emergency."

The ECHD identified three significant cluster of coronavirus cases, including the Fort Hays State University student population and two long-term care facilities.

"We have seen improvements in the FHSU student population, but we must all take
every precaution possible to limit the amount of spread," the release noted.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/48ae5382-a1b2-48e5-82b9-aedec7190600">The department on Monday announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County since Friday, as well as raising the overall case totals to nearly 900.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593005366466.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Ellis County Health Department on Monday announced it would begin reporting seven-day averages of new COVID-19 cases in an attempt to better show trends of spread or decline in the county.The department said the change is because of the wide variance in the time it take to return tests, noting some tests are taking three to 10 days to be returned."By reporting seven-day
averages, the data will be more consistent with showing trends of case growth or decline.
Ellis County is currently experiencing another increase in both percent of positives and cases per day," the department said in a news release. "This is not the direction we want to be heading into flu season. We must make better choices&nbsp; and continue to follow best practices as we work through this public health emergency."The ECHD identified three significant cluster of coronavirus cases, including the Fort Hays State University student population and two long-term care facilities."We have seen improvements in the FHSU student population, but we must all take
every precaution possible to limit the amount of spread," the release noted.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/48ae5382-a1b2-48e5-82b9-aedec7190600">The department on Monday announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis County since Friday, as well as raising the overall case totals to nearly 900.</a>Read the entire release below:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600711463919.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Ellis Co. Health Department makes change to virus reporting

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention essentially returned to its previous testing guidance, getting rid of language&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d36e698786f971658301d2cf4f83ad61">posted last month</a>&nbsp;that said people didn’t need to get tested if they didn’t feel sick. That change had set off a rash of criticism from health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid the pandemic.

It was “not consistent with the basic principles of controlling an epidemic,”said Dr. Silvia Chiang, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Brown University who applauded the change announced Friday.

The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">now says</a>&nbsp;anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes should get a test. In a statement, the agency called the changes a “clarification” that was needed “due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission.”

Agency officials declined additional comment.

Health officials were evasive about why they had made the change in August, and some outside observers speculated it was forced on the CDC by political appointees within the Trump administration.

At the time, administration officials said the language originated at the CDC but the decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force. Dr. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.

The New York Times, citing internal federal documents and unnamed sources, on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that the guidance was placed on the CDC’s website over the objections of agency scientists.

Public health experts have noted that testing the contacts of infected people is a core element of efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of those infected with the coronavirus exhibit no COVID-19 symptoms.

The CDC’s chief, Dr. Robert Redfield, issued a statement shortly after the controversy erupted that did little to clarify why the change was deemed necessary. The main intent seemed to be to assure state health officials that they could continue to recommend that all close contacts be tested if they felt that was wisest, despite the website language that said it was not necessary.

During a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, Redfield continued to defend the language that was dropped Friday. He said the August changes had been “misinterpreted” and were part of an effort to increase engagement by doctors and local health officials in the handling of potential illness clusters.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during Senate testimony this week-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during Senate testimony this week-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday dropped a controversial piece of coronavirus guidance and said anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention essentially returned to its previous testing guidance, getting rid of language&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/d36e698786f971658301d2cf4f83ad61">posted last month</a>&nbsp;that said people didn’t need to get tested if they didn’t feel sick. That change had set off a rash of criticism from health experts who couldn’t fathom why the nation’s top public health agency would say such a thing amid the pandemic.It was “not consistent with the basic principles of controlling an epidemic,”said Dr. Silvia Chiang, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Brown University who applauded the change announced Friday.The CDC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">now says</a>&nbsp;anyone who has been within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes should get a test. In a statement, the agency called the changes a “clarification” that was needed “due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission.”Agency officials declined additional comment.Health officials were evasive about why they had made the change in August, and some outside observers speculated it was forced on the CDC by political appointees within the Trump administration.At the time, administration officials said the language originated at the CDC but the decision came out of meetings of the White House coronavirus task force. Dr. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said many federal leaders outside the agency were involved in “lots of editing, lots of input.” He said it was difficult to attribute the final language to any one source.The New York Times, citing internal federal documents and unnamed sources, on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/health/coronavirus-testing-cdc.html" target="_blank">reported</a>&nbsp;that the guidance was placed on the CDC’s website over the objections of agency scientists.Public health experts have noted that testing the contacts of infected people is a core element of efforts to keep outbreaks in check, and that a large percentage of those infected with the coronavirus exhibit no COVID-19 symptoms.The CDC’s chief, Dr. Robert Redfield, issued a statement shortly after the controversy erupted that did little to clarify why the change was deemed necessary. The main intent seemed to be to assure state health officials that they could continue to recommend that all close contacts be tested if they felt that was wisest, despite the website language that said it was not necessary.During a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday, Redfield continued to defend the language that was dropped Friday. He said the August changes had been “misinterpreted” and were part of an effort to increase engagement by doctors and local health officials in the handling of potential illness clusters.

CDC drops controversial virus testing advice that caused backlash

RUSSELL — Russell Regional Hospital announced via social media Thursday that six staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

"As you are aware, there has recently been an increase in positive cases in Russell as well as the surrounding counties. Unfortunately, this has impacted Russell Regional Hospital," wrote Sharon Collins, hospital CEO. "In the last several days a number of our staff (6) have tested positive for COVID-19. All was maintained to a small single department except for 2 cases. I want to ensure you that all precautions have been taken with the individuals that tested positive."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600450367243.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RUSSELL — Russell Regional Hospital announced via social media Thursday that six staff members have tested positive for COVID-19."As you are aware, there has recently been an increase in positive cases in Russell as well as the surrounding counties. Unfortunately, this has impacted Russell Regional Hospital," wrote Sharon Collins, hospital CEO. "In the last several days a number of our staff (6) have tested positive for COVID-19. All was maintained to a small single department except for 2 cases. I want to ensure you that all precautions have been taken with the individuals that tested positive."Read the entire announcement below:<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FRussellRegionalHospital%2Fposts%2F4316659591739743&width=500" width="500" height="245" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Staff members at Russell Regional Hospital test positive for virus

The Ellis County Health Department on Friday announced 25 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the county since Wednesday.

There are now 168 active cases, including eight active hospitalizations, and 567 recovered cases.

The seven-day percent of positive tests, which had been falling in late August and early September, jumped to 21.5 percent. Just less than 13 percent of the 5,561 total tests have returned positive for COVID-19.

According to the department's report Friday, there have been 738 total cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including three deaths, since reporting began.

The Ellis County Health Department on Friday announced 25 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the county since Wednesday.There are now 168 active cases, including eight active hospitalizations, and 567 recovered cases.The seven-day percent of positive tests, which had been falling in late August and early September, jumped to 21.5 percent. Just less than 13 percent of the 5,561 total tests have returned positive for COVID-19.According to the department's report Friday, there have been 738 total cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including three deaths, since reporting began.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600445653733.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

25 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis Co. since Wednesday

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are considering spending $50 million to dramatically ramp up testing of people who aren't showing obvious signs of the coronavirus.

A state task force this week backed Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman’s recommendation to use the federal stimulus money on testing at schools, workplaces and other sites. The goal is to catch coronavirus in people who haven’t even realized they’re carrying it, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-11/how-kansas-could-spend-tens-of-millions-to-test-asymptomatic-people-for-coronavirus">reports.</a>

Some of the testing would be done at Wichita State University, where a new not-for-profit lab is gearing up to churn out hundreds of thousands of tests by the end of the year.

“I know that sounds like a lot,” said Tonya Witherspoon, Wichita State’s vice president of industry engagement, “but we think several labs in the state need to be able to do that much — or more.”

Kansas has so far focused most of its energy on people who know either that they are ill or that they have had direct exposure to a confirmed outbreak. But experts say positivity rates should drop when a state or city goes beyond testing these groups of people who are most likely to be sick.

Right now, about 15% of Kansans who get the test find out they have COVID-19. By Johns Hopkins University’s calculations, that puts it among the states with the highest rates of new positives.

On Wednesday, Kansas health officials reported 971 new cases since Monday, for a total of 50,870 across the state. Kansas also had 52 new deaths, raising that number to 586 since the pandemic began.

Norman said at a news conference that 37 of the new deaths were added through a review of death certificates. But that still meant 15 had occurred since Monday, a higher than normal number.

“We are getting to a very sensitive point in time as we talked about during Labor Day with universities, colleges and schools starting back again, athletics those sorts of things,” Norman said. “People are starting to mass gather again in ways that we didn’t see as much of over the summer when people were more dispersed out. As the overall number count goes up, we are going to have more deaths.”

The positive cases include 841 at the University of Kansas, where house parties near campus are raising alarms.

After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the Lawrence Journal-World&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/sep/16/city-leaders-express-interest-in-creating-ordinance-that-would-make-disregarding-health-orders-a-municipal-offense/">reports</a>.

City Attorney Toni Wheeler said the offense would be a misdemeanor that could be prosecuted in municipal court. Violators could face a fine of no more than $500, up to 30 days in jail or both.

However, Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Mayor Jennifer Ananda said they were not sure that creating a municipal ordinance would be the best approach, and that perhaps stronger disciplinary action from the university, such as bans from campus, mandatory quarantines or suspensions, would be more effective.

Meanwhile, Gov. Laura Kelly hosted a discussion with rural hospital administrators on Wednesday where she urged them to “exert pressure” on lawmakers to support a proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas.

In the discussion, Harold Courtois, CEO for the Memorial Health System in Abilene, said his organization is worried about running out of personal protective equipment, particularly medical N95 respirators, known as N95 masks, ahead of the flu season.

“My fear is that during the influenza season, where everybody appears to have COVID -- whether it’s influenza or not -- PPE is going to become scarce and be very difficult to acquire again,” Courtois said. “It just doesn’t seem like we see a lot of PPE unless you’re willing to pay enormous prices. There’s still price gouging going on every week

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600340563243.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his press conference on Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during his press conference on Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are considering spending $50 million to dramatically ramp up testing of people who aren't showing obvious signs of the coronavirus.A state task force this week backed Kansas Health Secretary Lee Norman’s recommendation to use the federal stimulus money on testing at schools, workplaces and other sites. The goal is to catch coronavirus in people who haven’t even realized they’re carrying it, KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-09-11/how-kansas-could-spend-tens-of-millions-to-test-asymptomatic-people-for-coronavirus">reports.</a>Some of the testing would be done at Wichita State University, where a new not-for-profit lab is gearing up to churn out hundreds of thousands of tests by the end of the year.“I know that sounds like a lot,” said Tonya Witherspoon, Wichita State’s vice president of industry engagement, “but we think several labs in the state need to be able to do that much — or more.”Kansas has so far focused most of its energy on people who know either that they are ill or that they have had direct exposure to a confirmed outbreak. But experts say positivity rates should drop when a state or city goes beyond testing these groups of people who are most likely to be sick.Right now, about 15% of Kansans who get the test find out they have COVID-19. By Johns Hopkins University’s calculations, that puts it among the states with the highest rates of new positives.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600277925237.png" alt="Sept. 16, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Sept. 16, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>On Wednesday, Kansas health officials reported 971 new cases since Monday, for a total of 50,870 across the state. Kansas also had 52 new deaths, raising that number to 586 since the pandemic began.Norman said at a news conference that 37 of the new deaths were added through a review of death certificates. But that still meant 15 had occurred since Monday, a higher than normal number.“We are getting to a very sensitive point in time as we talked about during Labor Day with universities, colleges and schools starting back again, athletics those sorts of things,” Norman said. “People are starting to mass gather again in ways that we didn’t see as much of over the summer when people were more dispersed out. As the overall number count goes up, we are going to have more deaths.”The positive cases include 841 at the University of Kansas, where house parties near campus are raising alarms.After a debate during the Lawrence City Commission meeting Tuesday, a majority of the commissioners said they were interested in at least considering an ordinance that would make it a municipal offense to violate local health orders designed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the Lawrence Journal-World&nbsp;<a href="https://www2.ljworld.com/news/city-government/2020/sep/16/city-leaders-express-interest-in-creating-ordinance-that-would-make-disregarding-health-orders-a-municipal-offense/">reports</a>.City Attorney Toni Wheeler said the offense would be a misdemeanor that could be prosecuted in municipal court. Violators could face a fine of no more than $500, up to 30 days in jail or both.However, Vice Mayor Brad Finkeldei and Mayor Jennifer Ananda said they were not sure that creating a municipal ordinance would be the best approach, and that perhaps stronger disciplinary action from the university, such as bans from campus, mandatory quarantines or suspensions, would be more effective.Meanwhile, Gov. Laura Kelly hosted a discussion with rural hospital administrators on Wednesday where she urged them to “exert pressure” on lawmakers to support a proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas.In the discussion, Harold Courtois, CEO for the Memorial Health System in Abilene, said his organization is worried about running out of personal protective equipment, particularly medical N95 respirators, known as N95 masks, ahead of the flu season.“My fear is that during the influenza season, where everybody appears to have COVID -- whether it’s influenza or not -- PPE is going to become scarce and be very difficult to acquire again,” Courtois said. “It just doesn’t seem like we see a lot of PPE unless you’re willing to pay enormous prices. There’s still price gouging going on every week

Plan calls for more testing of Kansans without virus symptoms

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday to make vaccines for COVID-19 available for free to all Americans, assuming a safe and effective shot is developed, even as top health officials faced questions about political interference with virus information reaching the public.

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/strategy-for-distributing-covid-19-vaccine.pdf" target="_blank">report to Congress</a>&nbsp;and an accompanying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/downloads/COVID-19-Vaccination-Program-Interim_Playbook.pdf" target="_blank">“playbook” for states and localities,</a>&nbsp;federal health agencies and the Defense Department sketched out complex plans for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually in January or even late this year, eventually ramping up to reach any American who wants a shot. The Pentagon would be involved with the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers would be the ones giving shots.

The whole enterprise faces remaining skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they’d get vaccinated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dacdc8bc428dd4df6511bfa259cfec44">an Associated Press-NORC poll taken in May.&nbsp;</a>Since then, questions have only mounted about whether the government is trying to rush treatments and vaccines to help President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.

On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department announced that political appointee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc1d25c72728fce624831e523e7fc678">Michael Caputo would take a leave of absence</a>. The news followed revelations that the senior communications official had tried to gain editorial control over scientific publications on COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he contended were hurting the Trump administration.

The director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, responding Wednesday before Senate lawmakers, rejected questions over whether the government’s timeline for states to be ready for a vaccine by Nov. 1 was politically motivated.

Redfield told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the “scientific integrity” of his agency’s output “has not been compromised and it will not be compromised under my watch.”

He said he was “deeply saddened” by Caputo’s accusations that CDC staff were working as a “resistance unit” against the administration.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, said political interference had damaged public trust in the government’s health information .

“The Trump administration needs to leave the science to the scientists immediately,” Murray said.

Although Trump asserted Tuesday that a vaccine could be three to four weeks away, Redfield, made clear to Congress that any version available this year would be in “very limited supply.” The shot wouldn’t be broadly available to most of the U.S. population until the summer of 2021, he estimated.

Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, quickly repeated the president’s version at the White House: “We do believe that it will be widely available by the end of the year.”

As for the planned vaccine campaign, the CDC playbook for states says it is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses.” Redfield said that his agency will be working with state health officials to execute the vaccination plan in coming days.

— For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.

— Vaccination of the U.S. population won’t be a sprint but a marathon. Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. “Early in (the) COVID-19 vaccination program there may be a limited supply of vaccine and vaccine efforts may focus on those critical to the response, providing direct care and maintaining societal functions, as well as those at highest risk for developing severe illness,” Redfield said. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the entire population.

— The vaccine itself will be free of charge, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funding approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration. The goal is that patients won’t be separately charged for administration of their shots, and officials say they are working to ensure that’s the case for all Medicare recipients and uninsured people as well those covered by insurance at their jobs.

— States and local communities will need to devise precise plans for receiving and locally distributing vaccines, some of which will require special handling such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have a month to submit plans.

— A massive information technology effort will be needed to track who is getting which vaccines and when, and the key challenge involves getting multiple public and private databases to link with each other.

Some of the broad components of the federal plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to put the key details into a comprehensive framework. Distribution is under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, a White House-backed initiative to have vaccines ready to ship in 24 hours from when a version is given emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final trials.

However, public skepticism remains. Of the Americans who said in the May AP poll that they wouldn’t get vaccinated, the overwhelming majority said they were worried about safety. To effectively protect the nation from the coronavirus, experts say 70% to 90% of Americans must either be vaccinated or have their own immunity from fighting off COVID-19.

Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for treatment of COVID-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, even though some government scientists were not convinced the clinical evidence was sufficiently strong.

As public confidence in health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.

“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners ... to ensure that Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday. “Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven completely by science and the data.”

That could be a tough sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not get a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.

“We’re dealing in a world of great uncertainty,” said Paul Mango, a top HHS official working on the vaccine plan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600265279122.png" alt="Photo courtesy AstraZeneca" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AstraZeneca</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The government outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday to make vaccines for COVID-19 available for free to all Americans, assuming a safe and effective shot is developed, even as top health officials faced questions about political interference with virus information reaching the public.In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/strategy-for-distributing-covid-19-vaccine.pdf" target="_blank">report to Congress</a>&nbsp;and an accompanying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/downloads/COVID-19-Vaccination-Program-Interim_Playbook.pdf" target="_blank">“playbook” for states and localities,</a>&nbsp;federal health agencies and the Defense Department sketched out complex plans for a vaccination campaign to begin gradually in January or even late this year, eventually ramping up to reach any American who wants a shot. The Pentagon would be involved with the distribution of vaccines, but civilian health workers would be the ones giving shots.The whole enterprise faces remaining skepticism. Only about half of Americans said they’d get vaccinated in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dacdc8bc428dd4df6511bfa259cfec44">an Associated Press-NORC poll taken in May.&nbsp;</a>Since then, questions have only mounted about whether the government is trying to rush treatments and vaccines to help President Donald Trump’s reelection chances.On Wednesday, the Health and Human Services Department announced that political appointee&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/bc1d25c72728fce624831e523e7fc678">Michael Caputo would take a leave of absence</a>. The news followed revelations that the senior communications official had tried to gain editorial control over scientific publications on COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he contended were hurting the Trump administration.The director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield, responding Wednesday before Senate lawmakers, rejected questions over whether the government’s timeline for states to be ready for a vaccine by Nov. 1 was politically motivated.Redfield told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the “scientific integrity” of his agency’s output “has not been compromised and it will not be compromised under my watch.”He said he was “deeply saddened” by Caputo’s accusations that CDC staff were working as a “resistance unit” against the administration.Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the committee’s top Democrat, said political interference had damaged public trust in the government’s health information .“The Trump administration needs to leave the science to the scientists immediately,” Murray said.Although Trump asserted Tuesday that a vaccine could be three to four weeks away, Redfield, made clear to Congress that any version available this year would be in “very limited supply.” The shot wouldn’t be broadly available to most of the U.S. population until the summer of 2021, he estimated.Trump’s press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, quickly repeated the president’s version at the White House: “We do believe that it will be widely available by the end of the year.”As for the planned vaccine campaign, the CDC playbook for states says it is “much larger in scope and complexity than seasonal influenza or other previous outbreak-related vaccination responses.” Redfield said that his agency will be working with state health officials to execute the vaccination plan in coming days.Among the highlights of the plan:— For most vaccines, people will need two doses, 21 to 28 days apart. Double-dose vaccines will have to come from the same drugmaker. There could be several vaccines from different manufacturers approved and available.— Vaccination of the U.S. population won’t be a sprint but a marathon. Initially there may be a limited supply of vaccines, and the focus will be on protecting health workers, other essential employees, and people in vulnerable groups. “Early in (the) COVID-19 vaccination program there may be a limited supply of vaccine and vaccine efforts may focus on those critical to the response, providing direct care and maintaining societal functions, as well as those at highest risk for developing severe illness,” Redfield said. A second and third phase would expand vaccination to the entire population.— The vaccine itself will be free of charge, thanks to billions of dollars in taxpayer funding approved by Congress and allocated by the Trump administration. The goal is that patients won’t be separately charged for administration of their shots, and officials say they are working to ensure that’s the case for all Medicare recipients and uninsured people as well those covered by insurance at their jobs.— States and local communities will need to devise precise plans for receiving and locally distributing vaccines, some of which will require special handling such as refrigeration or freezing. States and cities have a month to submit plans.— A massive information technology effort will be needed to track who is getting which vaccines and when, and the key challenge involves getting multiple public and private databases to link with each other.Some of the broad components of the federal plan have already been discussed, but Wednesday’s reports attempt to put the key details into a comprehensive framework. Distribution is under the umbrella of Operation Warp Speed, a White House-backed initiative to have vaccines ready to ship in 24 hours from when a version is given emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration. Several formulations are undergoing final trials.However, public skepticism remains. Of the Americans who said in the May AP poll that they wouldn’t get vaccinated, the overwhelming majority said they were worried about safety. To effectively protect the nation from the coronavirus, experts say 70% to 90% of Americans must either be vaccinated or have their own immunity from fighting off COVID-19.Before the Republican National Convention in August, the FDA granted authorization for treatment of COVID-19 patients with plasma from people who have recovered, even though some government scientists were not convinced the clinical evidence was sufficiently strong.As public confidence in health agencies has taken a beating, Trump administration officials have been forced to play defense.“We are working closely with our state and local public health partners ... to ensure that Americans can receive the vaccine as soon as possible and vaccinate with confidence,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement Wednesday. “Americans should know that the vaccine development process is being driven completely by science and the data.”That could be a tough sell. In the AP poll, 1 in 5 Americans said they would not get a coronavirus vaccine, and 31% said they were unsure.“We’re dealing in a world of great uncertainty,” said Paul Mango, a top HHS official working on the vaccine plan.

US outlines sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccines

The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday announced 19 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the county.

There are currently 162 active cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including eight active hospitalizations, and 548 recovered cases.

The seven-day percent of positive tests rose slightly to 16.1 percent after several days of declining. Overall, 700 of the 5,423 total tests have returned positive for COVID-19, or 12.7 percent.

Since reporting began, the department has reported 713 cases of COVID-19, including three deaths.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600284053619.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>The Ellis County Health Department on Wednesday announced 19 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the county.There are currently 162 active cases of coronavirus in Ellis County, including eight active hospitalizations, and 548 recovered cases.The seven-day percent of positive tests rose slightly to 16.1 percent after several days of declining. Overall, 700 of the 5,423 total tests have returned positive for COVID-19, or 12.7 percent.Since reporting began, the department has reported 713 cases of COVID-19, including three deaths.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600284194977.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

19 new cases of COVID-19 in Ellis Co., eight hospitalized

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Some state and local officials around the U.S. are rolling back social-distancing rules again after an abortive effort over the summer, allowing bars, restaurants and gyms to open. Fans are gathering mask-free at football games. President Donald Trump is holding crowded indoor rallies.

While some Americans may see such things as a welcome step closer to normal, public health experts warn the U.S. is setting itself up for failure — again.

“Folks are becoming very cavalier about the pandemic,” said Mark Rupp, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Nebraska’s governor ended nearly all of his state’s restrictions on Monday, even with new cases of the coronavirus on the rise.

“I think it is setting us up for further transmission and more people getting ill and, unfortunately, more people dying,” Rupp said.

The virus is blamed for more than 6.5 million confirmed infections and 195,000 deaths in the U.S., by far the highest totals of any country, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.

While case numbers have fallen from a peak average of 67,000 new infections per day in late July to about 36,000 now, the numbers remain staggeringly high. Deaths are running at about 750 a day, down from a peak of over 2,200 in late April.

In recent days, Mississippi has allowed restaurants to expand their customer capacity to 75%. New Jersey reopened gyms and indoor dining at restaurants, though with limited capacity. Michigan’s governor allowed gyms to reopen and organized sports to resume. County commissioners in Pinellas County, Florida, on Thursday are set to discuss whether to repeal their mask ordinance.

Public health experts noted that it is safe to resume certain activities in communities where there are low levels of infection.

The nation’s top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared via video at Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s virus briefing Tuesday and praised the state’s response and its steps to reopen safely. He chalked it up to Vermont’s emphasis on wearing masks, avoiding crowds and taking other simple precautions.

But elsewhere, experts said, case counts are too high to resume higher-risk activities, such as going to bars, gyms, theaters and stadiums, participating in close contact sports or eating inside a restaurant.

In most communities in Florida, bars were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Monday, while keeping some precautions in place. But Florida’s three biggest counties — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — are keeping their bars closed because of high case numbers.

Even in places where drinking establishments have been given the OK to reopen, some owners and customers alike are hesitant.

At The Leon Pub, a smoky bar a mile up the road from Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee, the Monday night crowd was sparse, as it has been for much of the long, oppressive summer.

“It’s been crickets and tumbleweeds,” said bartender Lauren Bryant.

Among the few there were Allie Preston and her husband. “We’ve been cooped up for a while. It was nice to have normalcy,” she said.

Florida bars were shuttered on St. Patrick’s Day in March, allowed to reopen in June, then ordered closed again about two weeks later as virus cases surged. The Leon Pub was allowed to reopen in July because it had a restaurant license.

Jim Smith. owner of Poor Paul’s Pourhouse in Tallahassee, intends to keep his place closed until the outbreak is over.

“I miss going to work every day. I miss seeing the customers and employees,” he said. “We have to get this thing under control.”

It’s not just government officials who are letting up on restrictions. In Milwaukee, the Roman Catholic archbishop said he will no longer excuse people from in-person worship unless they are ill or are caring for someone who is sick. Meanwhile, cases in Wisconsin are on the rise.

Some local officials are cracking down as they see cases climb.

In Wichita, Kansas, health officials made bar curfews and mask wearing mandatory. In Framingham, Massachusetts, officials said they have starting issuing $500 fines to property owners who violate the rules on gatherings and mask-wearing.

Public health experts said they worry they are seeing a pattern: A drop in cases leads officials and regular Americans to relax measures to stay safe, and infections and deaths make a comeback.

“Please, you’ve done so well, don’t let your guard down,” Fauci said during a call-in news conference during the video call with Vermont’s governor. “Because if we do, we are going to see surges that are going to put us back to where we were months ago.”

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Some state and local officials around the U.S. are rolling back social-distancing rules again after an abortive effort over the summer, allowing bars, restaurants and gyms to open. Fans are gathering mask-free at football games. President Donald Trump is holding crowded indoor rallies.While some Americans may see such things as a welcome step closer to normal, public health experts warn the U.S. is setting itself up for failure — again.“Folks are becoming very cavalier about the pandemic,” said Mark Rupp, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Nebraska’s governor ended nearly all of his state’s restrictions on Monday, even with new cases of the coronavirus on the rise.“I think it is setting us up for further transmission and more people getting ill and, unfortunately, more people dying,” Rupp said.The virus is blamed for more than 6.5 million confirmed infections and 195,000 deaths in the U.S., by far the highest totals of any country, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.While case numbers have fallen from a peak average of 67,000 new infections per day in late July to about 36,000 now, the numbers remain staggeringly high. Deaths are running at about 750 a day, down from a peak of over 2,200 in late April.In recent days, Mississippi has allowed restaurants to expand their customer capacity to 75%. New Jersey reopened gyms and indoor dining at restaurants, though with limited capacity. Michigan’s governor allowed gyms to reopen and organized sports to resume. County commissioners in Pinellas County, Florida, on Thursday are set to discuss whether to repeal their mask ordinance.Public health experts noted that it is safe to resume certain activities in communities where there are low levels of infection.The nation’s top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appeared via video at Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s virus briefing Tuesday and praised the state’s response and its steps to reopen safely. He chalked it up to Vermont’s emphasis on wearing masks, avoiding crowds and taking other simple precautions.But elsewhere, experts said, case counts are too high to resume higher-risk activities, such as going to bars, gyms, theaters and stadiums, participating in close contact sports or eating inside a restaurant.In most communities in Florida, bars were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on Monday, while keeping some precautions in place. But Florida’s three biggest counties — Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — are keeping their bars closed because of high case numbers.Even in places where drinking establishments have been given the OK to reopen, some owners and customers alike are hesitant.At The Leon Pub, a smoky bar a mile up the road from Florida’s Capitol in Tallahassee, the Monday night crowd was sparse, as it has been for much of the long, oppressive summer.“It’s been crickets and tumbleweeds,” said bartender Lauren Bryant.Among the few there were Allie Preston and her husband. “We’ve been cooped up for a while. It was nice to have normalcy,” she said.Florida bars were shuttered on St. Patrick’s Day in March, allowed to reopen in June, then ordered closed again about two weeks later as virus cases surged. The Leon Pub was allowed to reopen in July because it had a restaurant license.Jim Smith. owner of Poor Paul’s Pourhouse in Tallahassee, intends to keep his place closed until the outbreak is over.“I miss going to work every day. I miss seeing the customers and employees,” he said. “We have to get this thing under control.”It’s not just government officials who are letting up on restrictions. In Milwaukee, the Roman Catholic archbishop said he will no longer excuse people from in-person worship unless they are ill or are caring for someone who is sick. Meanwhile, cases in Wisconsin are on the rise.Some local officials are cracking down as they see cases climb.In Wichita, Kansas, health officials made bar curfews and mask wearing mandatory. In Framingham, Massachusetts, officials said they have starting issuing $500 fines to property owners who violate the rules on gatherings and mask-wearing.Public health experts said they worry they are seeing a pattern: A drop in cases leads officials and regular Americans to relax measures to stay safe, and infections and deaths make a comeback.“Please, you’ve done so well, don’t let your guard down,” Fauci said during a call-in news conference during the video call with Vermont’s governor. “Because if we do, we are going to see surges that are going to put us back to where we were months ago.”——

Coronavirus Update