The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 111 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.

There have been 1,545 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Friday morning, there were 30 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 14 active cases and 16 recovering cases.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>

The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 63 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 6,719 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643394268868.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 111 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.There have been 1,545 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;As of Friday morning, there were 30 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 14 active cases and 16 recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 63 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 6,719 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643394296258.png" alt="Statewide COVID-10 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-10 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 111 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Wednesday

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Norton Correctional Facility, the largest active coronavirus cluster in the state.&nbsp;

KDHE on Wednesday reported 349 active COVID clusters in the state, accounting for 6,953 cases, 79 hospitalizations and 64 deaths.&nbsp;

There were 156 COVID cases reported at the Norton prison in the last 14 days.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Other northwest Kansas clusters identified by KDHE were:

• Larned State Hospital, 13 cases • Larned Correction Mental Health Facility, 32 cases • Rush County Memorial Hospital ISB Unit, La Crosse, 8 cases • Russell Regional Hospital, 8 cases • Homestead Assisted Living of Russell, 5 cases • Wheatland Nursing Center, Russell, 7 cases • Wichita County Long Term Care, Leoti, 12 cases • La Crosse USD 395, 24 cases

A cluster is defined as a location that has five or more cases of COVID-19 with symptom onset in the last 14 days. Click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a> for more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643223505690.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Norton Correctional Facility, the largest active coronavirus cluster in the state.&nbsp;KDHE on Wednesday reported 349 active COVID clusters in the state, accounting for 6,953 cases, 79 hospitalizations and 64 deaths.&nbsp;There were 156 COVID cases reported at the Norton prison in the last 14 days.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other northwest Kansas clusters identified by KDHE were:• Larned State Hospital, 13 cases • Larned Correction Mental Health Facility, 32 cases • Rush County Memorial Hospital ISB Unit, La Crosse, 8 cases • Russell Regional Hospital, 8 cases • Homestead Assisted Living of Russell, 5 cases • Wheatland Nursing Center, Russell, 7 cases • Wichita County Long Term Care, Leoti, 12 cases • La Crosse USD 395, 24 casesA cluster is defined as a location that has five or more cases of COVID-19 with symptom onset in the last 14 days. Click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a> for more.

Norton prison COVID cluster the state's largest; 8 others in NW Kan.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 119 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Monday.

KDHE also reported an additional coronavirus-related death of an Ellis County resident, raising the toll to 79.

There have been 1,434 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Wednesday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 12 active cases and 13 recovering cases.&nbsp;

The KDHE reported on Monday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 63 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 6,608 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643221692661.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 119 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Monday.KDHE also reported an additional coronavirus-related death of an Ellis County resident, raising the toll to 79.There have been 1,434 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;As of Wednesday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 12 active cases and 13 recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>The KDHE reported on Monday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 63 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 6,608 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 79 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643221825348.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 119 new COVID cases, additional death in Ellis Co.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 103 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

There have been 1,315 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Monday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 15 active cases and eight recovering cases.&nbsp;

Since reporting began, there have been 6,489 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643048187538.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 103 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.There have been 1,315 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;As of Monday morning, there were 23 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 15 active cases and eight recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>The KDHE reported on Monday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 63 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 6,489 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1643048212533.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 103 new COVID cases in Ellis County since Friday

Updated 9:15 a.m. Monday with correct URL to testing scheduler.&nbsp;

In partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, ECHD is happy to announce the return of a drive-through free testing for COVID-19. Testing is available&nbsp;Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice, weather permitting, at Big Creek Crossing Mall, 2918 Vine.&nbsp;

This is a reliable, PCR-based test. No rapid tests will be offered. Please ensure that you are following COVID-19 safe practices which includes isolating yourself following testing until you receive results. Average turnaround time for results is two to four days after testing.&nbsp;

YOU WILL NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO TEST

Please click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing">HERE</a> to schedule.

We encourage all of Ellis County to continue to follow best practices as we continue to move forward with life.

Testing Site: Big Creek Crossing Mall, 2918 Vine, Hays, KS 67601

Starting Monday, testing will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Direct any questions regarding testing and results to <a href="mailto:support@gogettested.com">support@gogettested.com</a> or call 877-837-8461 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Updated 9:15 a.m. Monday with correct URL to testing scheduler.&nbsp;Ellis County Health DepartmentIn partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, ECHD is happy to announce the return of a drive-through free testing for COVID-19. Testing is available&nbsp;Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice, weather permitting, at Big Creek Crossing Mall, 2918 Vine.&nbsp;This is a reliable, PCR-based test. No rapid tests will be offered. Please ensure that you are following COVID-19 safe practices which includes isolating yourself following testing until you receive results. Average turnaround time for results is two to four days after testing.&nbsp;YOU WILL NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO TESTPlease click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing">HERE</a> to schedule.We encourage all of Ellis County to continue to follow best practices as we continue to move forward with life.<ul>
 <li>Do wash your hands frequently.</li><li>Do wear a mask.</li><li>Do isolate immediately if you feel ill.</li><li>Do call your doctor for questions regarding your symptoms and testing.</li><li>Do continue to protect yourself, loved ones and the community.</li><li>Stay at home if you are sick or test positive.</li><li>Remain proactive about your own health.</li>
 </ul>Testing Site: Big Creek Crossing Mall, 2918 Vine, Hays, KS 67601Starting Monday, testing will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.Direct any questions regarding testing and results to <a href="mailto:support@gogettested.com">support@gogettested.com</a> or call 877-837-8461 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Drive-through COVID test site returns to Big Creek Crossing in Hays

By RON FIELDS <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">Post News Network</a>

The end of contact tracing by the state and some school districts could be the "pivot point" of nearly two years of dealing with COVID-19, according to a Hays doctor.

Dr. Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, told the Post News Network that contact tracing might lead to more people treating the illness like the flu or RSV — moving from a pandemic to an endemic state.

"Patients do not have to hide from being sick or hide their sick kids in fear of quarantining their friends and family," she said. "Everyone can stay home when they are sick which will help the spread of COVID or any viral illness. If the symptoms are mild in a healthy vaccinated adult or child, then testing is probably not needed — and this will decrease the impact on overwhelmed clinics and testing centers."

Harris said those health care centers have seen a spike in testing requests during the latest coronavirus surge, which has seen a tenth of Ellis County's overall total cases diagnosed just during the month of January.

"If your symptoms are mild, it looks like a cold and you're vaccinated, I don't think you need to be tested every time," she said. "If you wouldn't have gone to the doctor before (the pandemic) for those symptoms, stay home and get back when you're well ... unless you're elderly or fragile."

More severe symptoms — sore throat or a temperature —&nbsp;could require an evaluation by a doctor, she added.

Like every hospital, HaysMed is still seeing heavy COVID-related hospitalizations as the omicron variant of COVID displaces the previous delta variant —&nbsp;generally between 20 and 25 COVID inpatients on any given day. The vast majority of those are unvaccinated. 

"The underlying message is that almost two years into this, we have a vaccine we know will protect people from being hospitalized or dying," Harris said. "We need people doing the right thing."

Statewide, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations has jumped —&nbsp;especially pediatric admissions — putting a strain on health care workers.

That strain could be eased in Ellis County with the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">reopening of a temporary testing site at a local shopping center.</a>

With the traditional flu season well underway, Harris said it's often difficult to determine what is actually causing illness. And with contact tracing and the resulting mandated quarantines ending in Hays, COVID could become just another viral infection for most.&nbsp; Hays USD 489 will discuss a policy change to end contact tracing Monday.

"You could test positive for flu and COVID or strep and COVID ... and it's hard to tell which is making you sick," she said. "It's hard not to be exposed to COVID. ... But if you're a healthy adult with a mild cough, stay home your five days and get better."

Severity of symptoms related to COVID have recently varied greatly, Harris added, with variables such as vaccination status, booster status and levels of immunity from previous contraction of COVID all playing a role.

"The current data shows that omicron may have more mild symptoms. We will not know for sure the impact of this virus locally for one to three more weeks," she said. "We have an older community and vaccine rates in northwest Kansas continue to be at 50 percent — low — so there should be some concern that we will continue to see more patients that may have severe disease and require hospitalization due to number of patients that are becoming ill with our local vaccine status and the age of our local population."

She added that treatment options are expanding for patients in the highest risk categories, as well, which could help decrease the need for hospital care and help alleviate a rising statewide death toll. 

But Harris also cautioned the toll of the latest COVID surge won't be known for weeks, noting hospitalizations generally increase a couple of weeks after the curve peaks —&nbsp;and deaths begin to increase a couple of weeks after that.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642801695346.png" alt="Kansas Hospital Association" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Hospital Association</figcaption>
 </figure>By RON FIELDS <a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/post-news-network">Post News Network</a>The end of contact tracing by the state and some school districts could be the "pivot point" of nearly two years of dealing with COVID-19, according to a Hays doctor.Dr. Heather Harris, chief medical officer at HaysMed, told the Post News Network that contact tracing might lead to more people treating the illness like the flu or RSV — moving from a pandemic to an endemic state."Patients do not have to hide from being sick or hide their sick kids in fear of quarantining their friends and family," she said. "Everyone can stay home when they are sick which will help the spread of COVID or any viral illness. If the symptoms are mild in a healthy vaccinated adult or child, then testing is probably not needed — and this will decrease the impact on overwhelmed clinics and testing centers."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639254081806.png" alt="Dr. Heather Harris" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Heather Harris</figcaption>
 </figure>Harris said those health care centers have seen a spike in testing requests during the latest coronavirus surge, which has seen a tenth of Ellis County's overall total cases diagnosed just during the month of January."If your symptoms are mild, it looks like a cold and you're vaccinated, I don't think you need to be tested every time," she said. "If you wouldn't have gone to the doctor before (the pandemic) for those symptoms, stay home and get back when you're well ... unless you're elderly or fragile."More severe symptoms — sore throat or a temperature —&nbsp;could require an evaluation by a doctor, she added.Like every hospital, HaysMed is still seeing heavy COVID-related hospitalizations as the omicron variant of COVID displaces the previous delta variant —&nbsp;generally between 20 and 25 COVID inpatients on any given day. The vast majority of those are unvaccinated. "The underlying message is that almost two years into this, we have a vaccine we know will protect people from being hospitalized or dying," Harris said. "We need people doing the right thing."<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.Statewide, the number of COVID-related hospitalizations has jumped —&nbsp;especially pediatric admissions — putting a strain on health care workers.That strain could be eased in Ellis County with the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">reopening of a temporary testing site at a local shopping center.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642802495067.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>With the traditional flu season well underway, Harris said it's often difficult to determine what is actually causing illness. And with contact tracing and the resulting mandated quarantines ending in Hays, COVID could become just another viral infection for most.&nbsp; Hays USD 489 will discuss a policy change to end contact tracing Monday."You could test positive for flu and COVID or strep and COVID ... and it's hard to tell which is making you sick," she said. "It's hard not to be exposed to COVID. ... But if you're a healthy adult with a mild cough, stay home your five days and get better."Severity of symptoms related to COVID have recently varied greatly, Harris added, with variables such as vaccination status, booster status and levels of immunity from previous contraction of COVID all playing a role."The current data shows that omicron may have more mild symptoms. We will not know for sure the impact of this virus locally for one to three more weeks," she said. "We have an older community and vaccine rates in northwest Kansas continue to be at 50 percent — low — so there should be some concern that we will continue to see more patients that may have severe disease and require hospitalization due to number of patients that are becoming ill with our local vaccine status and the age of our local population."She added that treatment options are expanding for patients in the highest risk categories, as well, which could help decrease the need for hospital care and help alleviate a rising statewide death toll. But Harris also cautioned the toll of the latest COVID surge won't be known for weeks, noting hospitalizations generally increase a couple of weeks after the curve peaks —&nbsp;and deaths begin to increase a couple of weeks after that.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642789294402.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

Doctor: End of contact tracing could be 'pivot point' to endemic

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 221 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.

It was the most new cases reported in a single regular reporting period since the pandemic began, according to Hays Post archives. KDHE updates its case count each Monday, Wednesday and Friday except on holidays.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1d396c85-96b5-4024-8cb8-3f5d19d0f6a3">RELATED: KDHE identifies COVID clusters in northwest Kansas counties</a>

There have been 1,212 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Friday morning, there were 28 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 19 active cases and nine recovering cases.&nbsp;

The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 6,386 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642789267517.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 221 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.It was the most new cases reported in a single regular reporting period since the pandemic began, according to Hays Post archives. KDHE updates its case count each Monday, Wednesday and Friday except on holidays.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1d396c85-96b5-4024-8cb8-3f5d19d0f6a3">RELATED: KDHE identifies COVID clusters in northwest Kansas counties</a>There have been 1,212 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;As of Friday morning, there were 28 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 19 active cases and nine recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/75f061b1-d7f1-4dba-ad9d-36bcbccc8ee8">RELATED: Drive-through testing site returns to Big Creek Crossing</a>The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 6,386 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642789294402.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 221 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Wednesday

RUSSELL — Wednesday afternoon, Russell USD 407 announced that all buildings will shut down due Thursday and Friday.

The closure comes as the district faced the inability to adequately staff shortages from illness.

"Due to the significant illness throughout our community,
buildings are not functioning with the ability to manage, staff, and educate
our children," the announcement said.

The district said the closure will allow "staff the space and time needed to rest and recover from the illnesses
that are present in our community."

While the buildings will be closed, students are still expected to have the opportunity to participate in weekend sporting events.

"Because RHS has a level of overall health,
USD 407 will allow for teams to compete so long as health is maintained," the announcement said. "Staff
will implement team symptom and temperature checks that occur prior to travel
or practice to ensure this validity of health."

The middle school might also require symptom checks.

<div><iframe width="710" height="399" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Vv_0qSHIRE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>RUSSELL — Wednesday afternoon, Russell USD 407 announced that all buildings will shut down due Thursday and Friday.The closure comes as the district faced the inability to adequately staff shortages from illness."Due to the significant illness throughout our community,
buildings are not functioning with the ability to manage, staff, and educate
our children," the announcement said.The district said the closure will allow "staff the space and time needed to rest and recover from the illnesses
that are present in our community."While the buildings will be closed, students are still expected to have the opportunity to participate in weekend sporting events."Because RHS has a level of overall health,
USD 407 will allow for teams to compete so long as health is maintained," the announcement said. "Staff
will implement team symptom and temperature checks that occur prior to travel
or practice to ensure this validity of health."The middle school might also require symptom checks.

Russell schools closed for illness: 'We have reached the breaking point'

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported COVID-19 clusters identified in northwest Kansas.

The following clusters were noted in Wednesday's coronavirus update (case count indicates cases in the last 14 days):

•&nbsp;Norton Correctional Facility: 19 cases •&nbsp;Larned State Hospital: 14 cases •&nbsp;Rush County Memorial Hospital ISB Unit, La Crosse: 11 cases •&nbsp;Russell Regional Hospital: 12 cases •&nbsp;La Crosse USD 395: 9 cases

There are currently 275 active COVID-19 clusters accounting for 4,616 cases, 61 hospitalizations and 52 deaths, KDHE reported.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a>&nbsp;for more information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642616331268.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported COVID-19 clusters identified in northwest Kansas.The following clusters were noted in Wednesday's coronavirus update (case count indicates cases in the last 14 days):•&nbsp;Norton Correctional Facility: 19 cases •&nbsp;Larned State Hospital: 14 cases •&nbsp;Rush County Memorial Hospital ISB Unit, La Crosse: 11 cases •&nbsp;Russell Regional Hospital: 12 cases •&nbsp;La Crosse USD 395: 9 casesThere are currently 275 active COVID-19 clusters accounting for 4,616 cases, 61 hospitalizations and 52 deaths, KDHE reported.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a>&nbsp;for more information.

KDHE identifies more COVID-19 clusters in northwest Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 350 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

Due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there was no case count update Monday.

There have been 991 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

As of Wednesday morning, there were 22 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 14 active cases and eight recovering cases.&nbsp;

Since reporting began, there have been 6,165 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642615728414.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 350 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.Due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, there was no case count update Monday.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1d396c85-96b5-4024-8cb8-3f5d19d0f6a3">RELATED: KDHE identifies COVID clusters in northwest Kansas counties</a>There have been 991 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;As of Wednesday morning, there were 22 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 14 active cases and eight recovering cases.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 6,165 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642615779949.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 350 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Friday

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.

The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.

Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.

“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.

But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.

“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.

The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.

“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.

Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.

A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.

“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”

Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.

“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —The fast-moving omicron variant may cause less severe disease on average, but COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are climbing and modelers forecast 50,000 to 300,000 more Americans could die by the time the wave subsides in mid-March.The seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been trending upward since mid-November, reaching nearly 1,700 on Jan. 17 — still below the peak of 3,300 in January 2021. COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-nursing-homes-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention-31685a926b0ee4e97e1b314a52b1f41c">started rising slightly two weeks ago</a>, although still at a rate 10 times less than last year before most residents were vaccinated.Despite signs omicron causes milder disease on average, the unprecedented level of infection spreading through the country, with cases still soaring in many states, means many vulnerable people will become severely sick. If the higher end of projections comes to pass, that would push total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 over 1 million by early spring.“A lot of people are still going to die because of how transmissible omicron has been,” said University of South Florida epidemiologist Jason Salemi. “It unfortunately is going to get worse before it gets better.”Morgues are starting to run out of space in Johnson County, Kansas, said Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of the health department. More than 30 residents have died in the county this year, the vast majority of them unvaccinated.But the notion that a generally less severe variant could still take the lives of thousands of people has been difficult for health experts to convey. The math of it — that a small percentage of a very high number of infections can yield a very high number of deaths — is difficult to visualize.“Overall, you’re going to see more sick people even if you as an individual have a lower chance of being sick,” said Katriona Shea of Pennsylvania State University, who co-leads a team that pulls together&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19scenariomodelinghub.org/" target="_blank">several pandemic models</a>&nbsp;and shares the combined projections with the White House.The wave of deaths heading for the United States will crest in late January or early February, Shea said. In early February, weekly deaths could equal or exceed the delta peak, and possibly even surpass the previous U.S. peak in deaths last year.Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the delta variant, but experts say omicron is also claiming lives.“This is omicron driven,” Shea said of the coming wave of deaths. The combined models project 1.5 million Americans will be hospitalized and 191,000 will die from mid-December through mid-March. Taking into account the uncertainty in the models, U.S. deaths during the omicron wave could range from 58,000 to 305,000.Yet, it’s become increasingly clear that the risk from omicron is lower than from previous variants. New evidence from nearly 70,000 patients in Southern California suggests omicron is causing milder illness than delta.A study, posted online and cited during a recent White House briefing, found patients with omicron had a 53% lower risk of hospitalization with respiratory symptoms, a 74% lower risk of ICU admission, and a 91% lower risk of death. The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed, comes from researchers at Kaiser Permanente and University of California, Berkeley.“It’s hard for me to say straight out it’s good news,” said study co-author Sara Y. Tartof, a Kaiser Permanente research scientist. “Maybe there’s good news in the sense that if you are infected your chance of becoming severely ill are decreased, but from a societal perspective it’s a very heavy burden for us. It remains a serious situation, and we need to maintain practices and behaviors we know protect us.”Overburdened hospitals could also contribute to more deaths, said Marc Lipsitch of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and scientific director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting center.“In places with extremely short staffing and overloads of patients, as the medical professionals have been telling us, the quality of care begins to suffer,” Lipsitch said. “That may also lead to higher death rates, but that’s not in any of the models that I’m aware of.”___

Report: US faces wave of omicron deaths in coming weeks

NW Kansas lagging far behind national numbers

By RACHEL PRADHAN and HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/as-omicron-surges-effort-to-vaccinate-young-children-stalls/">Kaiser Health News</a>

Two months after Pfizer’s COVID vaccine was authorized for children ages
 5 to 11, just 27 percent have received at least one shot, according to Jan. 12
 <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographics-trends">data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. Only 18 percent, or 5 million kids, have both doses.

Those figures are even more stark for northwest Kansas, according to KHN data. Northwest Kansas counties average 7.1 percent of children 5 to 11 with a single dose — and just 4.4 percent of those children are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;

There are just more than 12,500 children in that age group in northwest Kansas, and just 649 have been fully vaccinated, according to KHN data.

Ellis reported the highest rate of a single dose in the area at 13 percent, with 8.2 percent being fully vaccinated.

Pediatricians say the slow pace and geographic disparities are 
alarming, especially against the backdrop of record numbers of cases and
 pediatric hospitalizations. School-based vaccine mandates for students,
 which some pediatricians say are needed to boost rates substantially, 
remain virtually nonexistent.

“You have these large swaths of vulnerable children 
who are going to school,” said Dr. Samir Shah, a director at Cincinnati 
Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Compounding the problem is that 
states with low vaccination rates “are less likely to require masking or
 distancing or other nonpartisan public health precautions,” he said.

In Louisiana, where 5 percent of kids ages 5 to 11 have been fully 
vaccinated, Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, added the shot to the 
list of required school immunizations for the fall, over the objections 
of state legislators, who are mostly Republicans. The District of 
Columbia and California, where about 1 in 5 elementary school kids are 
fully vaccinated, have added similar requirements. But those places are 
exceptions — 15 states have banned covid vaccine mandates in K-12 
schools, according to the <a href="https://www.nashp.org/states-enact-policies-to-support-students-transition-back-to-school/">National Academy for State Health Policy</a>.

Mandates are one of multiple “scientifically valid public health 
strategies,” Shah said. “I do think that what would be ideal; I don’t 
think that we as a society have a will to do that.”

Vaccine demand surged in November, with an initial wave of enthusiasm
 after the shot was approved for younger children. But parents have 
vaccinated younger kids at a slower pace than 12- to 15-year-olds, who 
became eligible in May. It took nearly six weeks for 1 in 5 younger kids
 to get their first shot, while adolescents reached that milestone in 
two weeks.

Experts cite several factors slowing the effort: Because kids are 
less likely than adults to be hospitalized or die from the virus, some 
parents are less inclined to vaccinate their children. Misinformation 
campaigns have fueled concerns about immediate and long-term health 
risks of the vaccine. And finding appointments at pharmacies or with 
pediatricians has been a bear.

“One of the problems we’ve had is this perception that kids aren’t at
 risk for serious illness from this virus,” said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, 
chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious 
Diseases. “That’s obviously not true.”

Parents are left to weigh which is more of a threat to their 
children: the covid virus or the vaccine to prevent the virus. 
Overwhelmingly, research shows, the virus itself presents a greater 
danger.

Kids can develop debilitating long-covid symptoms or a potentially fatal post-covid <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c.html">inflammatory condition</a>. And <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7102e2.htm">new research</a>
 from the CDC found that children are at significantly higher risk of 
developing diabetes in the months after a covid infection. Other 
respiratory infections, like the flu, don’t carry similar risks.

Katharine Lehmann said she had concerns about myocarditis — a rare 
but serious side effect that causes inflammation of the heart muscle and
 is more likely to occur in boys than girls — and considered not 
vaccinating her two sons because of that risk. But after reading up on 
the side effects, she realized the condition is more likely to occur 
from the virus than the vaccine. “I felt safe giving it to my kids,” 
said Lehmann, a physical therapist in Missouri, where 20 percent of younger 
kids have gotten at least one dose.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-01-05/02-COVID-Su-508.pdf">Recent data</a>
 from scientific advisers to the CDC found that myocarditis was 
extremely rare among vaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds, identifying 12 
reported cases as of Dec. 19 out of 8.7 million administered doses.

The huge variations in where children are getting vaccinated reflect 
what has occurred with other age groups: Children have been much less 
likely to get shots in the Deep South, where hesitancy, political views 
and misinformation have blunted adult vaccination rates as well. Alabama
 has the lowest vaccination rate for 5- to 11-year-olds, with 5 percent fully 
vaccinated. States with high adult vaccine rates such as Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine have inoculated the greatest shares
 of their children.

Even within states, rates vary dramatically by county based on 
political leanings, density and access to the shot. More than a quarter 
of kids in Illinois’ populous counties around Chicago and Urbana are 
fully vaccinated, with rates as high as 38% in DuPage County. But rates 
are still below 10% in many of the state’s rural and Republican-leaning 
counties. In Maryland, where 1 in 4 kids are fully vaccinated, rates 
range from more than 40 percent in Howard and Montgomery counties, wealthy 
suburban counties, to fewer than 10 percent along parts of the more rural 
Eastern Shore.

Nationally, a November <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-winter-2021-update-on-parents-views-of-vaccines/">KFF poll</a>
 found that 29 percent of parents of 5- to 11-year-olds definitely won’t 
vaccinate their children and that an additional 7 percent would do so only if 
required. Though rates were similar for Black, white and Hispanic 
parents, political differences and location divided families. Only 22 percent of <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-vaccine-attitudes-rural-suburban-urban/">urban parents</a>
 wouldn’t vaccinate their kids, while 49 percent of rural parents were opposed.
 Half of Republican parents said they definitely wouldn’t vaccinate 
their kids, compared with just 7 percent of Democrats.

The White House said officials continue to work with trusted groups 
to build vaccine confidence and ensure access to shots. “As we’ve seen 
with adult vaccinations, we expect confidence to grow and more and more 
kids to be vaccinated across time,” spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a 
statement.

Just before her younger son’s 5th birthday, Lehmann was eager to book
 covid vaccine appointments for her two boys. But their pediatrician 
wasn’t offering them. Attempts to book time slots at CVS and Walgreens 
before her son turned 5 were unsuccessful, even if the appointment 
occurred after his late-November birthday.

“It was not easy,” she said. Wanting to avoid separate trips for her 
10-year-old and 5-year-old, she nabbed appointments at a hospital a 
half-hour away.

“Both of my kids have gotten all their vaccines at the pediatrician, 
so I was kind of shocked. That would have certainly been easier,” 
Lehmann said. “And the kids know those nurses and doctors, so I think it
 would have helped to not have a stranger doing it.”

The Biden administration has pointed parents to retail pharmacies and
 122 children’s hospitals with vaccine clinics. Nationwide, more than 
35,000 sites, including pediatricians, federally qualified health 
centers and children’s hospitals have been set up to vaccinate young 
kids, according to the administration. Yet administering the covid 
vaccine to children presents obstacles that haven’t been as prominent 
for other inoculations.

Enrolling pediatricians in the covid-19 vaccine program is a 
challenge because of the application process, reporting requirements for
 administered doses, and staffing, said Claire Hannan, executive 
director of the Association of Immunization Managers.

“Many of them are short-staffed right now and don’t necessarily have 
huge capacity to serve,” she said. Plus, “it’s not as easy to engage the
 schools in school-based clinics in certain areas just due to the 
political environment.” Health centers, government officials and other 
groups have set up more than 9,000 school vaccination sites for 5- to 
11-year-olds nationwide.

The CDC’s long-standing program, Vaccines for Children, provides free
 shots for influenza, measles, chickenpox and polio, among others. 
Roughly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/about/index.html">44,000 doctors</a>
 are enrolled in the program, which is designed to immunize children who
 are eligible for Medicaid, are uninsured or underinsured, or are from 
Native or Indigenous communities. More than half of the program’s 
providers offer covid shots, although the rates vary by state.

Pharmacies have been heavily used in Illinois, where 25 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds are fully vaccinated.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a pediatrician and the director of the Illinois 
Department of Public Health, said 53 percent of shots administered to younger 
children as of Jan. 5 were done at pharmacies. Twenty percent occurred 
at private clinics, 7 percent at local health departments, 6 percent at federally 
qualified health centers and 5 percent at hospitals.

“You need all pieces of the pie” to get more kids vaccinated, Ezike said.

The Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham, Alabama, tried to 
boost vaccinations with a party, offering games and treats, even a photo
 booth and a DJ, along with shots given by a well-known local pharmacy. 
Brooke Bowles, the center’s director of marketing and fund development, 
estimated that about half a dozen of the 42 people who got a dose that 
mid-December day were kids.

Bowles was struck that children were more likely to roll up their 
sleeves when their parents emphasized the greater good in getting 
vaccinated. “Those children were just fantastic,” she said. In parts of 
the Deep South like this one, pro-vaccine groups face a tough climb — as
 of Jan. 12, only 7% of Jefferson County’s children had gotten both 
shots.

The greater good is what pediatricians have emphasized to parents who are on the fence.

“Children are vectors for infectious disease,” said Dr. Eileen 
Costello, chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. 
“They’re extremely generous with their microbes,” spreading infections 
to vulnerable relatives and community members who may be more likely to 
end up in the hospital.

Seventy-eight percent of the hospital’s adult patients have received 
at least one dose. For children 5 and up, the figure is 39 percent, with 
younger children having lower rates than adolescents, Costello said. 
Particularly amid an onslaught of misinformation, “it has been 
exhausting to have these long conversations with families who are so 
hesitant and reluctant,” she said.

Still, she can point to successes: A mother who lost a grandparent to
 covid was nonetheless reluctant to vaccinate her son with obesity and 
asthma whom Costello was seeing for a physical. The mother ultimately 
vaccinated all four of her children after Costello told her that her 
son’s weight put him at higher risk for severe illness.

“That felt like a triumph to me,” Costello said. “I think her 
thinking was, ‘Well, he’s a kid — he’s going to be fine.’ And I said, 
‘Well, he might be fine, but he might not.’ ”

Hays Post contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642184443270.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>NW Kansas lagging far behind national numbers</h2>By RACHEL PRADHAN and HANNAH RECHT <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/as-omicron-surges-effort-to-vaccinate-young-children-stalls/">Kaiser Health News</a>Two months after Pfizer’s COVID vaccine was authorized for children ages
 5 to 11, just 27 percent have received at least one shot, according to Jan. 12
 <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-demographics-trends">data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. Only 18 percent, or 5 million kids, have both doses.Those figures are even more stark for northwest Kansas, according to KHN data. Northwest Kansas counties average 7.1 percent of children 5 to 11 with a single dose — and just 4.4 percent of those children are fully vaccinated.&nbsp;There are just more than 12,500 children in that age group in northwest Kansas, and just 649 have been fully vaccinated, according to KHN data.Ellis reported the highest rate of a single dose in the area at 13 percent, with 8.2 percent being fully vaccinated.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642185215839.png" alt="KHN data" />
 <figcaption>KHN data</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642184753049.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pediatricians say the slow pace and geographic disparities are 
alarming, especially against the backdrop of record numbers of cases and
 pediatric hospitalizations. School-based vaccine mandates for students,
 which some pediatricians say are needed to boost rates substantially, 
remain virtually nonexistent.“You have these large swaths of vulnerable children 
who are going to school,” said Dr. Samir Shah, a director at Cincinnati 
Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Compounding the problem is that 
states with low vaccination rates “are less likely to require masking or
 distancing or other nonpartisan public health precautions,” he said.In Louisiana, where 5 percent of kids ages 5 to 11 have been fully 
vaccinated, Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, added the shot to the 
list of required school immunizations for the fall, over the objections 
of state legislators, who are mostly Republicans. The District of 
Columbia and California, where about 1 in 5 elementary school kids are 
fully vaccinated, have added similar requirements. But those places are 
exceptions — 15 states have banned covid vaccine mandates in K-12 
schools, according to the <a href="https://www.nashp.org/states-enact-policies-to-support-students-transition-back-to-school/">National Academy for State Health Policy</a>.Mandates are one of multiple “scientifically valid public health 
strategies,” Shah said. “I do think that what would be ideal; I don’t 
think that we as a society have a will to do that.”Vaccine demand surged in November, with an initial wave of enthusiasm
 after the shot was approved for younger children. But parents have 
vaccinated younger kids at a slower pace than 12- to 15-year-olds, who 
became eligible in May. It took nearly six weeks for 1 in 5 younger kids
 to get their first shot, while adolescents reached that milestone in 
two weeks.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642184606479.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Experts cite several factors slowing the effort: Because kids are 
less likely than adults to be hospitalized or die from the virus, some 
parents are less inclined to vaccinate their children. Misinformation 
campaigns have fueled concerns about immediate and long-term health 
risks of the vaccine. And finding appointments at pharmacies or with 
pediatricians has been a bear.“One of the problems we’ve had is this perception that kids aren’t at
 risk for serious illness from this virus,” said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, 
chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious 
Diseases. “That’s obviously not true.”Parents are left to weigh which is more of a threat to their 
children: the covid virus or the vaccine to prevent the virus. 
Overwhelmingly, research shows, the virus itself presents a greater 
danger.Kids can develop debilitating long-covid symptoms or a potentially fatal post-covid <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c.html">inflammatory condition</a>. And <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7102e2.htm">new research</a>
 from the CDC found that children are at significantly higher risk of 
developing diabetes in the months after a covid infection. Other 
respiratory infections, like the flu, don’t carry similar risks.Katharine Lehmann said she had concerns about myocarditis — a rare 
but serious side effect that causes inflammation of the heart muscle and
 is more likely to occur in boys than girls — and considered not 
vaccinating her two sons because of that risk. But after reading up on 
the side effects, she realized the condition is more likely to occur 
from the virus than the vaccine. “I felt safe giving it to my kids,” 
said Lehmann, a physical therapist in Missouri, where 20 percent of younger 
kids have gotten at least one dose.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-01-05/02-COVID-Su-508.pdf">Recent data</a>
 from scientific advisers to the CDC found that myocarditis was 
extremely rare among vaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds, identifying 12 
reported cases as of Dec. 19 out of 8.7 million administered doses.The huge variations in where children are getting vaccinated reflect 
what has occurred with other age groups: Children have been much less 
likely to get shots in the Deep South, where hesitancy, political views 
and misinformation have blunted adult vaccination rates as well. Alabama
 has the lowest vaccination rate for 5- to 11-year-olds, with 5 percent fully 
vaccinated. States with high adult vaccine rates such as Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine have inoculated the greatest shares
 of their children.Even within states, rates vary dramatically by county based on 
political leanings, density and access to the shot. More than a quarter 
of kids in Illinois’ populous counties around Chicago and Urbana are 
fully vaccinated, with rates as high as 38% in DuPage County. But rates 
are still below 10% in many of the state’s rural and Republican-leaning 
counties. In Maryland, where 1 in 4 kids are fully vaccinated, rates 
range from more than 40 percent in Howard and Montgomery counties, wealthy 
suburban counties, to fewer than 10 percent along parts of the more rural 
Eastern Shore.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642184659504.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nationally, a November <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-winter-2021-update-on-parents-views-of-vaccines/">KFF poll</a>
 found that 29 percent of parents of 5- to 11-year-olds definitely won’t 
vaccinate their children and that an additional 7 percent would do so only if 
required. Though rates were similar for Black, white and Hispanic 
parents, political differences and location divided families. Only 22 percent of <a href="https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-vaccine-attitudes-rural-suburban-urban/">urban parents</a>
 wouldn’t vaccinate their kids, while 49 percent of rural parents were opposed.
 Half of Republican parents said they definitely wouldn’t vaccinate 
their kids, compared with just 7 percent of Democrats.The White House said officials continue to work with trusted groups 
to build vaccine confidence and ensure access to shots. “As we’ve seen 
with adult vaccinations, we expect confidence to grow and more and more 
kids to be vaccinated across time,” spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a 
statement.<h2>The Hunt for Shots</h2>Just before her younger son’s 5th birthday, Lehmann was eager to book
 covid vaccine appointments for her two boys. But their pediatrician 
wasn’t offering them. Attempts to book time slots at CVS and Walgreens 
before her son turned 5 were unsuccessful, even if the appointment 
occurred after his late-November birthday.“It was not easy,” she said. Wanting to avoid separate trips for her 
10-year-old and 5-year-old, she nabbed appointments at a hospital a 
half-hour away.“Both of my kids have gotten all their vaccines at the pediatrician, 
so I was kind of shocked. That would have certainly been easier,” 
Lehmann said. “And the kids know those nurses and doctors, so I think it
 would have helped to not have a stranger doing it.”The Biden administration has pointed parents to retail pharmacies and
 122 children’s hospitals with vaccine clinics. Nationwide, more than 
35,000 sites, including pediatricians, federally qualified health 
centers and children’s hospitals have been set up to vaccinate young 
kids, according to the administration. Yet administering the covid 
vaccine to children presents obstacles that haven’t been as prominent 
for other inoculations.Enrolling pediatricians in the covid-19 vaccine program is a 
challenge because of the application process, reporting requirements for
 administered doses, and staffing, said Claire Hannan, executive 
director of the Association of Immunization Managers.“Many of them are short-staffed right now and don’t necessarily have 
huge capacity to serve,” she said. Plus, “it’s not as easy to engage the
 schools in school-based clinics in certain areas just due to the 
political environment.” Health centers, government officials and other 
groups have set up more than 9,000 school vaccination sites for 5- to 
11-year-olds nationwide.The CDC’s long-standing program, Vaccines for Children, provides free
 shots for influenza, measles, chickenpox and polio, among others. 
Roughly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/about/index.html">44,000 doctors</a>
 are enrolled in the program, which is designed to immunize children who
 are eligible for Medicaid, are uninsured or underinsured, or are from 
Native or Indigenous communities. More than half of the program’s 
providers offer covid shots, although the rates vary by state.Pharmacies have been heavily used in Illinois, where 25 percent of 5- to 11-year-olds are fully vaccinated.Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a pediatrician and the director of the Illinois 
Department of Public Health, said 53 percent of shots administered to younger 
children as of Jan. 5 were done at pharmacies. Twenty percent occurred 
at private clinics, 7 percent at local health departments, 6 percent at federally 
qualified health centers and 5 percent at hospitals.“You need all pieces of the pie” to get more kids vaccinated, Ezike said.<h2>Kids Respond to ‘the Greater Good’</h2>The Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham, Alabama, tried to 
boost vaccinations with a party, offering games and treats, even a photo
 booth and a DJ, along with shots given by a well-known local pharmacy. 
Brooke Bowles, the center’s director of marketing and fund development, 
estimated that about half a dozen of the 42 people who got a dose that 
mid-December day were kids.Bowles was struck that children were more likely to roll up their 
sleeves when their parents emphasized the greater good in getting 
vaccinated. “Those children were just fantastic,” she said. In parts of 
the Deep South like this one, pro-vaccine groups face a tough climb — as
 of Jan. 12, only 7% of Jefferson County’s children had gotten both 
shots.The greater good is what pediatricians have emphasized to parents who are on the fence.“Children are vectors for infectious disease,” said Dr. Eileen 
Costello, chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Boston Medical Center. 
“They’re extremely generous with their microbes,” spreading infections 
to vulnerable relatives and community members who may be more likely to 
end up in the hospital.Seventy-eight percent of the hospital’s adult patients have received 
at least one dose. For children 5 and up, the figure is 39 percent, with 
younger children having lower rates than adolescents, Costello said. 
Particularly amid an onslaught of misinformation, “it has been 
exhausting to have these long conversations with families who are so 
hesitant and reluctant,” she said.Still, she can point to successes: A mother who lost a grandparent to
 covid was nonetheless reluctant to vaccinate her son with obesity and 
asthma whom Costello was seeing for a physical. The mother ultimately 
vaccinated all four of her children after Costello told her that her 
son’s weight put him at higher risk for severe illness.“That felt like a triumph to me,” Costello said. “I think her 
thinking was, ‘Well, he’s a kid — he’s going to be fine.’ And I said, 
‘Well, he might be fine, but he might not.’ ”Hays Post contributed to this report.

Effort to vaccinate young children stalls; NW Kan. lags even more

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 113 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.

There have been 641 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8e87b848-d187-43e9-9f0b-811944da4111?fbclid=IwAR20JdOZzHW7LRTXXGaOjP18WdfiA7KTJHxTrajadwxmDr1UjcTThScQL6g">Related:&nbsp;Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis</a>

As of Friday morning, there were 25 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 18 active cases and seven recovering cases. Three of those patients are considered fully vaccinated, the hospital reported.

In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the KDHE dashboard will not be updated Monday.&nbsp;

The KDHE reported on Friday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 5,815 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e63276ea-ca10-4e6a-84c8-73db703c9286">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays docs say battling teen, parental hesitancy to vaccine a challenge</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642183255468.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 113 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.There have been 641 new coronavirus cases reported in Ellis County in January.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8e87b848-d187-43e9-9f0b-811944da4111?fbclid=IwAR20JdOZzHW7LRTXXGaOjP18WdfiA7KTJHxTrajadwxmDr1UjcTThScQL6g">Related:&nbsp;Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis</a>As of Friday morning, there were 25 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed, including 18 active cases and seven recovering cases. Three of those patients are considered fully vaccinated, the hospital reported.In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, the KDHE dashboard will not be updated Monday.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.The KDHE reported on Friday that 51 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 5,815 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e63276ea-ca10-4e6a-84c8-73db703c9286">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays docs say battling teen, parental hesitancy to vaccine a challenge</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642183361874.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 113 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus cases.

Biden also announced that starting next week 1,000 military medical personnel will begin deploying across the country to help overwhelmed medical facilities ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">staff shortages</a>&nbsp;due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">the highly transmissible omicron variant</a>.

Many facilities are struggling because their workers are in at-home quarantines due to the virus at the same time as a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases. The new deployments will be on top of other federal medical personnel who have already been sent to states to help with acute shortages.

Speaking at the White House Thursday, Biden acknowledged that, “I know we’re all frustrated as we enter this new year” as virus cases reach new heights. But he insisted that it remains “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people test positive for the virus, but Biden noted medical figures showing that people are far less likely to suffer serious illness and death if they’ve received a shot: “What happens after that could not be more different.”

Biden’s comments come as his administration’s focus is shifting to easing disruptions from the spike in cases that is also contributing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grocery-store-supply-chain-issues-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">grocery shortages</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-travel-flight-cancellations-bed3b491ef8dfd778ac612e35add75fb">flight cancellations,&nbsp;</a>rather than preventing the transmission of the virus.

On Tuesday, Janet Woodcock, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration, told Congress that the highly transmissible strain will infect “most people” and that the focus should turn to ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted.

“I think it’s hard to process what’s actually happening right now, which is: Most people are going to get COVID, all right?” she said. “What we need to do is make sure the hospitals can still function — transportation, other essential services are not disrupted while this happens.”

Biden said that he is directing his team to double its procurement of rapid COVID-19 tests to be delivered for free to Americans through a forthcoming federal website, as he seeks to respond to criticism over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-science-travel-health-196255dcfe3e928b6f9f5779cd47be4e">shortages and long lines for tests</a>. The initial order was for 500 million tests, and now the federal government will purchase 1 billion at-home testing kits. Biden said the website will launch next week.

Biden also announced that for the first time his administration was planning to make high-quality N95 masks, which are most effective at preventing transmission of the virus, available for free. He said his administration would announce details next week.

The federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks, the White House said this week. And though research has shown those masks to be better protection, they are often more uncomfortable, and health officials are not altering their guidance to recommend against less-protective cloth masks.

The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.

Biden encouraged Americans to wear masks when indoors to slow the spread of the virus, even as he acknowledged they’re a “pain in the neck”

During Thursday’s remarks Biden was joined by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>, who recently recovered from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lloyd-austin-alejandro-mayorkas-d06d9606206265e8fae110cf7a549fd4">his own case of COVID-19</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-new-york-coronavirus-pandemic-emergency-management-49cff31bd6d423da5379523f99835eef">FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell</a>. They were hearing about the work of the more than 800 military personnel who have been helping civilian hospitals since Thanksgiving and the more than 14,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-new-hampshire-dover-7352b829ecb9ca54d89df03fa6fd9191">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;whose work supporting vaccinations, testing and caring for patients is being covered by the federal government.

The White House said the they spoke with federal personnel who are already on the ground in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences.

Biden also announced that six additional military medical teams will be deployed to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.

The White House said the teams will support Henry Ford Hospital just outside Detroit, University Hospital in Newark, the University of New Mexico hospital in Albuquerque, Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Cleveland Clinic and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the government will double to 1 billion the rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to be distributed free to Americans, along with the most protective N95 masks, as he highlighted his efforts to “surge” resources to help the country weather the spike in coronavirus cases.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F627100008618297%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=17" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Biden also announced that starting next week 1,000 military medical personnel will begin deploying across the country to help overwhelmed medical facilities ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-b6d58e41b209dd67ed0954f28b542baf">staff shortages</a>&nbsp;due to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">the highly transmissible omicron variant</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden just announced that our administration will purchase an additional 500 million COVID-19 at home tests, bringing the total number of tests that will be distributed for free to 1 billion. <a href="https://t.co/Ze8NSyKaf9">pic.twitter.com/Ze8NSyKaf9</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1481654833199259649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Many facilities are struggling because their workers are in at-home quarantines due to the virus at the same time as a nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases. The new deployments will be on top of other federal medical personnel who have already been sent to states to help with acute shortages.Speaking at the White House Thursday, Biden acknowledged that, “I know we’re all frustrated as we enter this new year” as virus cases reach new heights. But he insisted that it remains “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people test positive for the virus, but Biden noted medical figures showing that people are far less likely to suffer serious illness and death if they’ve received a shot: “What happens after that could not be more different.”Biden’s comments come as his administration’s focus is shifting to easing disruptions from the spike in cases that is also contributing to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grocery-store-supply-chain-issues-166cc40b0ff095af9d0bf4041fa1b5fc">grocery shortages</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-travel-flight-cancellations-bed3b491ef8dfd778ac612e35add75fb">flight cancellations,&nbsp;</a>rather than preventing the transmission of the virus.On Tuesday, Janet Woodcock, the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration, told Congress that the highly transmissible strain will infect “most people” and that the focus should turn to ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted.“I think it’s hard to process what’s actually happening right now, which is: Most people are going to get COVID, all right?” she said. “What we need to do is make sure the hospitals can still function — transportation, other essential services are not disrupted while this happens.”Biden said that he is directing his team to double its procurement of rapid COVID-19 tests to be delivered for free to Americans through a forthcoming federal website, as he seeks to respond to criticism over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-science-travel-health-196255dcfe3e928b6f9f5779cd47be4e">shortages and long lines for tests</a>. The initial order was for 500 million tests, and now the federal government will purchase 1 billion at-home testing kits. Biden said the website will launch next week.Biden also announced that for the first time his administration was planning to make high-quality N95 masks, which are most effective at preventing transmission of the virus, available for free. He said his administration would announce details next week.The federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks, the White House said this week. And though research has shown those masks to be better protection, they are often more uncomfortable, and health officials are not altering their guidance to recommend against less-protective cloth masks.The best mask “is the one that you will wear and the one you can keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday.Biden encouraged Americans to wear masks when indoors to slow the spread of the virus, even as he acknowledged they’re a “pain in the neck”During Thursday’s remarks Biden was joined by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-biden-cabinet-lloyd-austin-john-cornyn-army-4d8848273e4e1fe6e4ad2dc8cee7313c">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin</a>, who recently recovered from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-lloyd-austin-alejandro-mayorkas-d06d9606206265e8fae110cf7a549fd4">his own case of COVID-19</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-politics-new-york-coronavirus-pandemic-emergency-management-49cff31bd6d423da5379523f99835eef">FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell</a>. They were hearing about the work of the more than 800 military personnel who have been helping civilian hospitals since Thanksgiving and the more than 14,000&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-new-hampshire-dover-7352b829ecb9ca54d89df03fa6fd9191">National Guard members</a>&nbsp;whose work supporting vaccinations, testing and caring for patients is being covered by the federal government.The White House said the they spoke with federal personnel who are already on the ground in Arizona, Michigan and New York to hear about their experiences.Biden also announced that six additional military medical teams will be deployed to Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island.The White House said the teams will support Henry Ford Hospital just outside Detroit, University Hospital in Newark, the University of New Mexico hospital in Albuquerque, Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Cleveland Clinic and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.

🎥 Biden now offering 1 billion free COVID tests to fight omicron

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported a handful of COVID-19 clusters identified in northwest Kansas.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3da09c09-f252-4d95-8e8d-f36e1811f25b">RELATED: 350 new COVID cases in Ellis County identified since Friday</a>

•&nbsp;Home Daycare, Great Bend: 6 cases •&nbsp;Russell Regional Hospital: 5 cases •&nbsp;Medicalodge, Great Bend: 32 cases •&nbsp;Parkview Care Center, Osborne: 7 cases •&nbsp;Smith County Health and Rehab: 9 cases

There are currently 217 active COVID-19 clusters accounting for 3,122 cases, 50 hospitalizations and 37 deaths, KDHE reported. 

Click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a> for more information.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642013305303.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported a handful of COVID-19 clusters identified in northwest Kansas.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/3da09c09-f252-4d95-8e8d-f36e1811f25b">RELATED: 350 new COVID cases in Ellis County identified since Friday</a>The following clusters were noted in Wednesday's coronavirus update (case count indicates cases in the last 14 days):•&nbsp;Home Daycare, Great Bend: 6 cases •&nbsp;Russell Regional Hospital: 5 cases •&nbsp;Medicalodge, Great Bend: 32 cases •&nbsp;Parkview Care Center, Osborne: 7 cases •&nbsp;Smith County Health and Rehab: 9 casesThere are currently 217 active COVID-19 clusters accounting for 3,122 cases, 50 hospitalizations and 37 deaths, KDHE reported. Click <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">HERE</a> for more information.

KDHE identifies COVID-19 clusters in northwest Kansas

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 149 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Monday.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 25 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.&nbsp;

The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 50 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 5,702 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642012640147.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported 149 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Monday.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8e87b848-d187-43e9-9f0b-811944da4111?fbclid=IwAR20JdOZzHW7LRTXXGaOjP18WdfiA7KTJHxTrajadwxmDr1UjcTThScQL6g">Related:&nbsp;Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis</a>As of Wednesday morning, there were 25 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 50 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 62 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 5,702 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e63276ea-ca10-4e6a-84c8-73db703c9286">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays docs say battling teen, parental hesitancy to vaccine a challenge</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1642012767953.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 149 new COVID cases in Ellis County since Monday

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 89 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.

As of Monday morning, there were 22 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.&nbsp;

The KDHE reported on Friday that 50 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 61 percent.

Since reporting began, there have been 5,553 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;

Updated 2 p.m. Tuesday to correct the number of overall cases.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641840663584.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Monday reported 89 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Friday.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8e87b848-d187-43e9-9f0b-811944da4111?fbclid=IwAR20JdOZzHW7LRTXXGaOjP18WdfiA7KTJHxTrajadwxmDr1UjcTThScQL6g">Related:&nbsp;Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis</a>As of Monday morning, there were 22 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e63276ea-ca10-4e6a-84c8-73db703c9286">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays docs say battling teen, parental hesitancy to vaccine a challenge</a>The KDHE reported on Friday that 50 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 61 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 5,553 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.&nbsp;Updated 2 p.m. Tuesday to correct the number of overall cases.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641840768310.png" alt="Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID-19 curve / KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: 89 new COVID cases in Ellis Co. since Friday

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 97 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641578281343.png" alt="KDHE" />
 <figcaption>KDHE</figcaption>
 </figure>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Friday reported 97 new COVID-19 cases in Ellis County had been identified since Wednesday.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/73a7bd2f-aecf-4f81-89e9-48b515e19efd">RELATED: TMP-M games postponed due to COVID concerns</a>It was the largest spike in new cases between reporting periods in Ellis County since mid-December 2020. KDHE updates cases each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/8e87b848-d187-43e9-9f0b-811944da4111?fbclid=IwAR20JdOZzHW7LRTXXGaOjP18WdfiA7KTJHxTrajadwxmDr1UjcTThScQL6g">Related:&nbsp;Doctors plead for COVID precautions to alleviate hospital crisis</a>As of Friday morning, there were 26 COVID-19 inpatients at HaysMed.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ellisco.net/97/Health">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;for information on how to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/e63276ea-ca10-4e6a-84c8-73db703c9286">RELATED:&nbsp;Hays docs say battling teen, parental hesitancy to vaccine a challenge</a>The KDHE reported on Wednesday that 50 percent of eligible Ellis County residents (age 5 and older) are fully vaccinated, noting the vaccination rate for the eligible Kansas population (5 and older) is approximately 61 percent.Since reporting began, there have been 5,464 cases of COVID-19 identified in Ellis County, including 78 coronavirus-related deaths.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641578432957.png" alt="Statewide COVID case curve in Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Statewide COVID case curve in Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>

Coronavirus Update