TOPEKA Kan. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas plant that makes sausage has shut down after five employees tested positive for the coronavirus amid continued problems at meatpacking plants in the state and across the country. 

The shutdown at the Johnsonville plant in Holton took effect Wednesday.

“It’s a tough decision to halt production, but we appreciate Johnsonville for doing this to help us stop the spread of COVID-19,” says Angie Reith, Jackson County Health Officer. “The Johnsonville team has implemented aggressive safety measures and did so early on to protect their workforce, and those efforts have helped immensely in identifying the virus in the facility as quickly as possible. We’ll continue our collaboration to minimize the spread of the virus.”

Johnsonville said all employees will continue to get paid, and downtime will be used to implement even more aggressive safety protocols before reopening. Some new safety protocols include placing additional barriers between workstations where social distancing is not possible.

Meanwhile, counties in southwest Kansas with plants continue to deal with outbreaks among employees. Ford, Seward and Finney counties together had more than 2,700 cases as of Monday, or 38% of the state’s total. They had the highest rates of cases per 1,000 residents in the state.

But some neighboring counties also are seeing higher-than-average rates of cases as well. Kearney County has 30 cases, for a rate of 7.61 for every 1,000 residents -- far above the state’s figure of 2.44.

Dr. Drew Miller, a family physician in Lakin, said the cases there are tied to the meatpacking industry.

“We’re seeing community spread, or household spread and community spread, from those that were initially affected in the meatpacking plants, and I guess that’s the part that concerns us more than the young, healthy workforce population,” Miller said in a Zoom interview. “They expose their parents or others living in their house that have other chronic illnesses to the virus.”

He expects to Kearny County to diverge with the state when it reaches the second phase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">Kelly’s plan to reopen the economy</a>&nbsp;on May 18.

“It is an eerie thought, but as everybody else talks about reopening, it still feels like we’re looking COVID-19 straight in the eyes,” he said

Johns Hopkins University has reported 184 deaths and 7,200 cases in Kansas, although the actual number is thought to be higher in part because of the initial limits in testing.

For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589389305635.png" alt="Johnsonville Plant in Holton Google image" />
 <figcaption>Johnsonville Plant in Holton Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA Kan. (AP) —&nbsp;A Kansas plant that makes sausage has shut down after five employees tested positive for the coronavirus amid continued problems at meatpacking plants in the state and across the country. The shutdown at the Johnsonville plant in Holton took effect Wednesday.“It’s a tough decision to halt production, but we appreciate Johnsonville for doing this to help us stop the spread of COVID-19,” says Angie Reith, Jackson County Health Officer. “The Johnsonville team has implemented aggressive safety measures and did so early on to protect their workforce, and those efforts have helped immensely in identifying the virus in the facility as quickly as possible. We’ll continue our collaboration to minimize the spread of the virus.”Johnsonville said all employees will continue to get paid, and downtime will be used to implement even more aggressive safety protocols before reopening. Some new safety protocols include placing additional barriers between workstations where social distancing is not possible.Meanwhile, counties in southwest Kansas with plants continue to deal with outbreaks among employees. Ford, Seward and Finney counties together had more than 2,700 cases as of Monday, or 38% of the state’s total. They had the highest rates of cases per 1,000 residents in the state.But some neighboring counties also are seeing higher-than-average rates of cases as well. Kearney County has 30 cases, for a rate of 7.61 for every 1,000 residents -- far above the state’s figure of 2.44.Dr. Drew Miller, a family physician in Lakin, said the cases there are tied to the meatpacking industry.“We’re seeing community spread, or household spread and community spread, from those that were initially affected in the meatpacking plants, and I guess that’s the part that concerns us more than the young, healthy workforce population,” Miller said in a Zoom interview. “They expose their parents or others living in their house that have other chronic illnesses to the virus.”He expects to Kearny County to diverge with the state when it reaches the second phase of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/9892bd95f6f6179dc01c4769adbab428">Kelly’s plan to reopen the economy</a>&nbsp;on May 18.“It is an eerie thought, but as everybody else talks about reopening, it still feels like we’re looking COVID-19 straight in the eyes,” he saidJohns Hopkins University has reported 184 deaths and 7,200 cases in Kansas, although the actual number is thought to be higher in part because of the initial limits in testing.For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

Kansas sausage making plant shuts down amid COVID-19 cases

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 352 to a total of 7468, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE

Note: The KDHE is now releasing updated counts of coronavirus cases on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 352 to a total of 7468, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 164.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHENote: The KDHE is now releasing updated counts of coronavirus cases on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589389644279.png" alt="Wednesday May 13, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday May 13, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-educators-worry-what-five-months-away-classrooms-will-do-schoolkids">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — The summer slide. That’s the annual learning loss that happens when students spend three months away from school.

Now researchers warn about a “COVID slide.”

Students will have spent five months out of the classroom, shuttered because of the pandemic, when they return in August.

Clunky
 remote learning replaced longer hours and more rigorous instruction for
 the students still trying — and many have checked out for the year. Add
 the stress of an imploding economy that might have tossed Mom or Dad 
out of work plus limits on the emotional support schools often offer 
kids, and teachers will likely see already struggling students slip 
further behind.

“There will definitely be loss and there is a 
potential for even greater loss when they come back if schools don’t 
carefully understand how traumatic experiences impact learning,” said 
Alison Wishard Guerra, an associate professor at the University of 
California-San Diego’s department of education studies.

Researchers debate how much of an impact summer vacation has on student learning. While some say it costs students a <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/" target="_blank">full month</a>, others say the “summer slide” is more of a summer <a href="https://www.educationnext.org/is-summer-learning-loss-real-how-i-lost-faith-education-research-results/" target="_blank">slowdown</a>, more a halt than a retreat.

But researchers at NWEA, a non-profit that works on education assessments, used summer learning loss to model a “<a href="https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2020/04/Collaborative-Brief_Covid19-Slide-APR20.pdf" target="_blank">COVID slide</a>.”
 Under the worst case scenario, students would come back in the fall 
with roughly 70 percent of the learning gains they would have received 
during a full school year.

Math had the worst results, with some 
grades losing nearly a full year of learning. Compared to other subjects
 like reading, math gets much less attention outside of school.

“That’s
 not what we typically imagine when we think of the really, you know, 
wonderful parent child bonding time,” Megan Kuhfeld said, a researcher 
at NWEA. “It’s not usually over math workbooks.”

That worst case scenario, however, assumes no teaching happens between the March shutdown and when schools reopen.

Kansas schools hope to avoid that with remote learning, but what that looks like differs from district to district.

Wichita
 requires no assignments or attendance. The district locked in student 
grades, though high schoolers sweating their GPA or short of their 
graduation requirements can do extra work to boost their GPA.

The
 Barnes Hanover Linn school district, about an hour north of Manhattan, 
requires students to keep doing their work. Each day about 75% to 85% of
 the district’s kids log in for online learning, but that’s short of the
 district’s 97% attendance average from last year. Most student grades 
have held steady since the shutdown, though that’s with teacher’s 
focusing more on reviewing old material than teaching new material.

“We’ve
 backed off on the rigor,” said John Whetzal, superintendent of Barnes 
Hanover Linn. “But we do keep record of when kids are logging on, when 
kids are actually completing the work.”

That fits with Kansas' top line in the state’s <a href="https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Communications/Publications/Continuous%20Learning%20Task%20Force%20Guidance.pdf?ver=2020-03-19-084325-833" target="_blank">recommendations</a>
 for schools — “less is more.” The state suggests middle and high school
 students spend no more than three hours a day learning. Fifth and 
fourth grade should max out at 90 minutes and the time drops below that 
for the lower levels.

Despite the shrunken learning time, 
educators say this is far from a lost learning semester. Between days 
off, spring break and field trips, Buhler Unified School Districts says 
it’s only losing about 13 days worth of classroom time.

“I don’t 
feel like we are going to be missing too much content at all,” said 
Cindy Couchman, assistant superintendent at Buhler. “We have really 
secured our students to be successful in school next year.”

Learning loss will not affect all students equally. While some 
high-achieving students might bristle against online learning, the gap 
between them and students that were already struggling will likely widen
 even more.

Some research blames the summer slide for causing 
low-income students to fall further behind their peers. They expect a 
COVID slide to do the same. Lack of internet or computers at home makes 
summer and remote learning more difficult.

Kansas schools have 
tried to address those achievement gaps in recent years by focusing on 
student’s emotional and social needs. The philosophy goes that if 
schools take care of students' mental health, they’ll be better able to 
focus on learning.

But educators worry that the opposite is true —
 coronavirus related stress could be a barrier to student’s catching 
back up in the fall. That stress could come from a parent losing a job, 
or when a child doesn’t have school as a sanctuary from abuse in the 
home.

“For students to learn, we have to take care of any trauma 
they’re experiencing before that can happen.” said Brent Yeager, 
assistant superintendent at Olathe Public Schools. “A lot of that will 
be magnified when students come back to school in the fall.”

Olathe
 wants to hire more psychologists, social workers and counselors. 
Wichita Public Schools says it’s continuing to train teachers to address
 students’ emotional needs. Some of that work is still happening 
remotely, with social and emotional check-ins taking over some time from
 teaching.

Lan Huynh, a teacher at Christa McAuliffe Academy in 
Wichita, says she starts her weekly video meeting asking how her third 
graders are doing. So many students want to speak at the same time that 
she has to mute them when the lesson eventually begins. Even the shy 
kids speak up.

“They just love to talk,” Huynh said. “They 
haven’t seen their friends in a while.”

She also calls students 
without internet access. But she says when she talks with her teacher 
friends, they cry together. They wonder if they’re doing enough or even 
too much for their students. 

“I hope people know that emotionally 
it is very difficult for us teachers, too,” Huynh said. “Looking at the 
screen, seeing their faces, it’s just not the same.”

Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha?lang=en">@stevebisaha</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589386872769.png" alt=" A first-grader practices spelling at Broken Arrow Elementary during a small-group phonics lesson before schools closed this year. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A first-grader practices spelling at Broken Arrow Elementary during a small-group phonics lesson before schools closed this year. Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By STEPHAN BISAHA <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-educators-worry-what-five-months-away-classrooms-will-do-schoolkids">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — The summer slide. That’s the annual learning loss that happens when students spend three months away from school.Now researchers warn about a “COVID slide.”Students will have spent five months out of the classroom, shuttered because of the pandemic, when they return in August.Clunky
 remote learning replaced longer hours and more rigorous instruction for
 the students still trying — and many have checked out for the year. Add
 the stress of an imploding economy that might have tossed Mom or Dad 
out of work plus limits on the emotional support schools often offer 
kids, and teachers will likely see already struggling students slip 
further behind.“There will definitely be loss and there is a 
potential for even greater loss when they come back if schools don’t 
carefully understand how traumatic experiences impact learning,” said 
Alison Wishard Guerra, an associate professor at the University of 
California-San Diego’s department of education studies.<h2>COVID slide</h2>Researchers debate how much of an impact summer vacation has on student learning. While some say it costs students a <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/" target="_blank">full month</a>, others say the “summer slide” is more of a summer <a href="https://www.educationnext.org/is-summer-learning-loss-real-how-i-lost-faith-education-research-results/" target="_blank">slowdown</a>, more a halt than a retreat.But researchers at NWEA, a non-profit that works on education assessments, used summer learning loss to model a “<a href="https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2020/04/Collaborative-Brief_Covid19-Slide-APR20.pdf" target="_blank">COVID slide</a>.”
 Under the worst case scenario, students would come back in the fall 
with roughly 70 percent of the learning gains they would have received 
during a full school year.Math had the worst results, with some 
grades losing nearly a full year of learning. Compared to other subjects
 like reading, math gets much less attention outside of school.“That’s
 not what we typically imagine when we think of the really, you know, 
wonderful parent child bonding time,” Megan Kuhfeld said, a researcher 
at NWEA. “It’s not usually over math workbooks.”That worst case scenario, however, assumes no teaching happens between the March shutdown and when schools reopen.Kansas schools hope to avoid that with remote learning, but what that looks like differs from district to district.Wichita
 requires no assignments or attendance. The district locked in student 
grades, though high schoolers sweating their GPA or short of their 
graduation requirements can do extra work to boost their GPA.The
 Barnes Hanover Linn school district, about an hour north of Manhattan, 
requires students to keep doing their work. Each day about 75% to 85% of
 the district’s kids log in for online learning, but that’s short of the
 district’s 97% attendance average from last year. Most student grades 
have held steady since the shutdown, though that’s with teacher’s 
focusing more on reviewing old material than teaching new material.“We’ve
 backed off on the rigor,” said John Whetzal, superintendent of Barnes 
Hanover Linn. “But we do keep record of when kids are logging on, when 
kids are actually completing the work.”That fits with Kansas' top line in the state’s <a href="https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Communications/Publications/Continuous%20Learning%20Task%20Force%20Guidance.pdf?ver=2020-03-19-084325-833" target="_blank">recommendations</a>
 for schools — “less is more.” The state suggests middle and high school
 students spend no more than three hours a day learning. Fifth and 
fourth grade should max out at 90 minutes and the time drops below that 
for the lower levels.Despite the shrunken learning time, 
educators say this is far from a lost learning semester. Between days 
off, spring break and field trips, Buhler Unified School Districts says 
it’s only losing about 13 days worth of classroom time.“I don’t 
feel like we are going to be missing too much content at all,” said 
Cindy Couchman, assistant superintendent at Buhler. “We have really 
secured our students to be successful in school next year.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589386938064.png" alt=" Wichita teacher Lan Huynh instructs her third grade students over a video call. Credit Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Wichita teacher Lan Huynh instructs her third grade students over a video call. Credit Stephan Bisaha / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>COVID stress</h2>Learning loss will not affect all students equally. While some 
high-achieving students might bristle against online learning, the gap 
between them and students that were already struggling will likely widen
 even more.Some research blames the summer slide for causing 
low-income students to fall further behind their peers. They expect a 
COVID slide to do the same. Lack of internet or computers at home makes 
summer and remote learning more difficult.Kansas schools have 
tried to address those achievement gaps in recent years by focusing on 
student’s emotional and social needs. The philosophy goes that if 
schools take care of students' mental health, they’ll be better able to 
focus on learning.But educators worry that the opposite is true —
 coronavirus related stress could be a barrier to student’s catching 
back up in the fall. That stress could come from a parent losing a job, 
or when a child doesn’t have school as a sanctuary from abuse in the 
home.“For students to learn, we have to take care of any trauma 
they’re experiencing before that can happen.” said Brent Yeager, 
assistant superintendent at Olathe Public Schools. “A lot of that will 
be magnified when students come back to school in the fall.”Olathe
 wants to hire more psychologists, social workers and counselors. 
Wichita Public Schools says it’s continuing to train teachers to address
 students’ emotional needs. Some of that work is still happening 
remotely, with social and emotional check-ins taking over some time from
 teaching.Lan Huynh, a teacher at Christa McAuliffe Academy in 
Wichita, says she starts her weekly video meeting asking how her third 
graders are doing. So many students want to speak at the same time that 
she has to mute them when the lesson eventually begins. Even the shy 
kids speak up.“They just love to talk,” Huynh said. “They 
haven’t seen their friends in a while.”She also calls students 
without internet access. But she says when she talks with her teacher 
friends, they cry together. They wonder if they’re doing enough or even 
too much for their students. “I hope people know that emotionally 
it is very difficult for us teachers, too,” Huynh said. “Looking at the 
screen, seeing their faces, it’s just not the same.”Stephan Bisaha reports on education and young adult life for KMUW and the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/stevebisaha?lang=en">@stevebisaha</a>.

Kan. educators worry what five months away will do to schoolkids

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farmers are expected to bring in a smaller winter wheat crop this year even though they will harvest about the same number of acres. 

The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Tuesday this year’s Kansas winter wheat crop is forecast at 306 million bushels, down 10% from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 47 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from last year. 

The agency said Kansas growers will cut wheat off 6.5 million acres, which is about 96% of the acres that they planted with wheat last fall.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farmers are expected to bring in a smaller winter wheat crop this year even though they will harvest about the same number of acres. The National Agricultural Statistics Service said Tuesday this year’s Kansas winter wheat crop is forecast at 306 million bushels, down 10% from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at 47 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels from last year. The agency said Kansas growers will cut wheat off 6.5 million acres, which is about 96% of the acres that they planted with wheat last fall.

Forecast: Kansas farmers to harvest smaller wheat crop

By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>

GREAT BEND — Like many plans of reopening from the effects of coronavirus, the Kansas
State High School Activities Association is easing back into sports for the
upcoming fall season. KSHSAA announced their 2020 summer workout guidelines. 

Many
students have not had the opportunity to train on a regular basis this spring,
so a gradual acclimation to physical activity has been shown to lower risk of
injury. 

Starting June 1, high school coaches can begin summer
programs with a maximum of three hours of activity per student per day in the first
week. 

Great Bend schools superintendent Khris Thexton says social distancing
and gathering restrictions are still implemented during the conditioning
drills.

"We have talked to our staff to tell them even though we 
have plans, do not think they are set in stone," Thexton said. "We have 
seen things change and they change rather quickly."


Beginning the second calendar week of summer activity, each student can work out
up to five hours per day. The restrictions become looser following the second week
based on the State of Kansas restriction guidelines. Football players must
complete three weeks of conditioning with limited drills before camps and
contact drills can take place.

"We want to make sure we are 
working with our local health department and making sure we are 
following the state guidelines," said Thexton. "We want to make sure 
children are taken care of and being watched to keep them safe."


One camp is allowed for football teams but it will consist of only two total
schools and limited to a maximum of two days. Traditional fall school
practices begin Aug. 17.

"We understand the frustration that 
people want to get out and back to what they have been doing, but we are
 taking every precaution we can," said Thexton.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589379767697.jpeg" alt="Great Bend High School 's Memorial Stadium" />
 <figcaption>Great Bend High School 's Memorial Stadium</figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF <a href="https://greatbendpost.com">Great Bend Post</a>GREAT BEND — Like many plans of reopening from the effects of coronavirus, the Kansas
State High School Activities Association is easing back into sports for the
upcoming fall season. KSHSAA announced their 2020 summer workout guidelines. Many
students have not had the opportunity to train on a regular basis this spring,
so a gradual acclimation to physical activity has been shown to lower risk of
injury. Starting June 1, high school coaches can begin summer
programs with a maximum of three hours of activity per student per day in the first
week. Great Bend schools superintendent Khris Thexton says social distancing
and gathering restrictions are still implemented during the conditioning
drills."We have talked to our staff to tell them even though we 
have plans, do not think they are set in stone," Thexton said. "We have 
seen things change and they change rather quickly."
Beginning the second calendar week of summer activity, each student can work out
up to five hours per day. The restrictions become looser following the second week
based on the State of Kansas restriction guidelines. Football players must
complete three weeks of conditioning with limited drills before camps and
contact drills can take place."We want to make sure we are 
working with our local health department and making sure we are 
following the state guidelines," said Thexton. "We want to make sure 
children are taken care of and being watched to keep them safe."
One camp is allowed for football teams but it will consist of only two total
schools and limited to a maximum of two days. Traditional fall school
practices begin Aug. 17."We understand the frustration that 
people want to get out and back to what they have been doing, but we are
 taking every precaution we can," said Thexton.

Great Bend district ready to ease back into high school sports

LONG BEACH, CA. —The&nbsp;<a href="http://calstate.edu/">California State University</a>, the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students announced Tuesday will continue with online classes this fall.

According to a media release, Chancellor Tim White said,&nbsp;“This approach to virtual planning is necessary for many reasons. First and foremost is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, and the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 – current and as forecast throughout the 2020-21 academic year. 

This planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs, as forecast. Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus.&nbsp;

Said another way, this virtual planning approach preserves as many options for as many students as possible.

Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university's core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.

Some possible examples of potential exceptions&nbsp; - and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place - include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state's healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization.

The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks. Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.

This combination, really a myriad of factors, will result in variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances, but predominately there will be limited in-person experiential learning and research occurring on campuses for the fall 2020 term. On some campuses and in some academic disciplines course offerings are likely to be exclusively virtual."

​​​​​​<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585958389195.jpeg" alt="Classes will continue online for all 23 campuses in the California State University system this fall." />
 <figcaption>Classes will continue online for all 23 campuses in the California State University system this fall.</figcaption>
 </figure>LONG BEACH, CA. —The&nbsp;<a href="http://calstate.edu/">California State University</a>, the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 53,000 faculty and staff and 482,000 students announced Tuesday will continue with online classes this fall.According to a media release, Chancellor Tim White said,&nbsp;“This approach to virtual planning is necessary for many reasons. First and foremost is the health, safety and welfare of our students, faculty and staff, and the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 – current and as forecast throughout the 2020-21 academic year. This planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs, as forecast. Virtual planning is necessary because it might not be possible for some students, faculty and staff to safely travel to campus.&nbsp;Said another way, this virtual planning approach preserves as many options for as many students as possible.Consequently, our planning approach will result in CSU courses primarily being delivered virtually for the fall 2020 term, with limited exceptions for in-person teaching, learning and research activities that cannot be delivered virtually, are indispensable to the university's core mission and can be conducted within rigorous standards of safety and welfare. There will be hybrid approaches and there will be variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances.Some possible examples of potential exceptions&nbsp; - and only when there are sufficient resources available and protocols in place to assure that rigorous health and safety requirements are in place - include clinical classes with training mannequins for our nursing students such that we keep students on track for licensure and entry into the state's healthcare workforce; essential physical and life science laboratory classes enabling degree completion and entry into the energy and bioscience fields; access to kilns and other unique facilities to enable students in the performing and creative arts to explore and express the depth, breadth and beauty of humanity; hands-on experience with unique instrumentation and senior capstone projects for engineering, architecture and agriculture students; and access to the blue-water hands-on interactive simulator for boat and ship handling, to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for the maritime industry and required for licensure by the US Coast Guard and UN International Maritime Organization.The granting of limited exceptions to permit in-person activities will continue to be informed by thoughtful consultation with academic senates, associated students, staff councils and union leadership, and will be based on compelling educational and research needs, while continuing to meet safety benchmarks. Any exceptions may be permitted only in the continued presence of the aforementioned rigorous safety measures and training, and only in consideration of resource availability and other matters of local context, and be in accordance with the guidance of local and state public health agencies, the repopulation directives of governmental authorities along with other relevant regulatory agencies.This combination, really a myriad of factors, will result in variability across the 23 campuses due to specific context and circumstances, but predominately there will be limited in-person experiential learning and research occurring on campuses for the fall 2020 term. On some campuses and in some academic disciplines course offerings are likely to be exclusively virtual."

Virus will keep nation's largest public university system closed this fall

By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-needs-more-people-tracing-covid-19-infections-their-source-stem-resurgence">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — Contact tracing is a key component
 of stopping the spread of infectious or sexually transmitted diseases, 
and has been for years. It’s also the linchpin in Kansas counties’ plans
 to effectively reopen and isolate cases of the coronavirus.

“The
 volume has become quite a bit larger than anything we’ve really ever 
dealt with,” Johnson County epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh said.

National experts from <a href="https://ethics.harvard.edu/files/center-for-ethics/files/roadmaptopandemicresilience_updated_4.20.20_0.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=84636f14-f794-4c0b-9a7f-9bc13dc14e37" target="_blank">Harvard</a>, <a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2020/200410-national-plan-to-contact-tracing.pdf" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials</a>
 say that in order to loosen restrictions on businesses and people’s 
movements without causing a new wave of cases, states need to have a 
plan and infrastructure in place to drastically increase testing and 
tracing —&nbsp; the latter involving discovering infected people, finding out
 where they’ve been and getting a hold of people they may have come in 
contact with.

In Kansas, that would include testing more than 
just people with symptoms, as well as having 15 investigators and 
contact tracers per 100,000 people. That’s about 400 tracers statewide.

As
 of Tuesday, Kansas had about 220 tracers. So as the state Department of
 Health and Environment works to increase that capacity, the main 
responsibility will fall on county health departments.

Johnson 
County, in eastern Kansas, has more than 600,000 people and about 600 
cases of COVID-19. However, the county has just five case investigators,
 which must have a medical or public health background in order to track
 down initial details when a person tests positive for COVID-19.

And
 Holzschuh said there are about 17 people trained to work as contact 
tracers, who don’t necessarily need a health background to do the bulk 
of communicating to the ring of people with whom the infected person has
 been in contact.

Johnson County, as well Sedgwick and Douglas, rely on technology as a force multiplier.

“We
 are actually texting them daily, asking them whether or not they’ve 
developed any signs or symptoms of COVID,” Holzschuh said. “So that 
really helps alleviate the staff needs in terms of just the volume of 
contact that we’ve gotten through these investigations.”

Kansas officials are also looking at using phone data and <a href="https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Roadmap-to-Recovery/" target="_blank">apps from Google and Apple to trace and contact</a>, but it’s unlikely the state would be able to implement that anytime soon.

“I
 personally think it’s a good idea,” KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said last
 week. “We want to make sure the technology is safe, it’s private, it 
works, and it’s helpful.”

In
 Sedgwick County, which has among some of the highest counts of cases in
 the pandemic, epidemiology program manager Kaylee Hervey told <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article242603041.html" target="_blank">the Wichita Eagle </a>that
 contact tracers sometimes break the news that someone has the 
coronavirus. But, she said, about 80% of people already thought they may
 have been exposed.

That’s not always the case. The coronavirus 
poses a challenge for health officials because anywhere from 25% to 40% 
of people are asymptomatic, said Danielle Allen, director of Harvard’s 
Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics.

That means it’s harder to find people with COVID-19 and prevent it from spreading without testing and tracing on a bigger scale.

“If
 you’re not that aggressive about following the chain of transmission, 
you won’t be able to actually decelerate the disease,” Allen said.

Kansas moved into the <a href="https://covid.ks.gov/ad-astra-a-plan-to-reopen-kansas/" target="_blank">first phase</a>
 of loosening restrictions on May 4 — and the second phase is slated to 
start May 18 — without having the recommended amount of contact tracers 
in place.

About 25 KDHE staffers have been assigned to lead 
detailed investigations of people with positive tests, Norman said. The 
state is also attempting to train 400 volunteers to perform the simpler 
task of reaching out to contacts; it’s already trained about 220 as of 
Tuesday.

Johnson County credits stay-at-home orders for helping 
with its contact-tracing work. Even if someone was infected,&nbsp; Holzschuh 
said, they likely hadn’t spent much time near other people outside of 
immediate family. It minimized the number of people the tracers had to 
track down.

“As soon as we reopen,” she cautioned, “the number of contacts are going to increase, as are the number of cases.”

Experts
 said building contact-tracing capacity quickly is key to preventing an 
even worse wave of coronavirus infections in the next few months. 
Without it, states will likely have to slow down reopening, or go back 
to staying at home.

“We are trying to do what’s best, but at the 
baseline, (reopening) is going to be a calculated risk,” said Sonia 
Jordan, director of informatics at Lawrence-Douglas County Public 
Health. “And just trying to keep our communities safe and healthy will 
always be our goal.”

Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589309846356.png" alt=" A drive-through coronavirus testing center at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> A drive-through coronavirus testing center at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence. Nomin Ujiyediin / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRIAN GRIMMETT <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-needs-more-people-tracing-covid-19-infections-their-source-stem-resurgence">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — Contact tracing is a key component
 of stopping the spread of infectious or sexually transmitted diseases, 
and has been for years. It’s also the linchpin in Kansas counties’ plans
 to effectively reopen and isolate cases of the coronavirus.“The
 volume has become quite a bit larger than anything we’ve really ever 
dealt with,” Johnson County epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuh said.National experts from <a href="https://ethics.harvard.edu/files/center-for-ethics/files/roadmaptopandemicresilience_updated_4.20.20_0.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&amp;eId=84636f14-f794-4c0b-9a7f-9bc13dc14e37" target="_blank">Harvard</a>, <a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2020/200410-national-plan-to-contact-tracing.pdf" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials</a>
 say that in order to loosen restrictions on businesses and people’s 
movements without causing a new wave of cases, states need to have a 
plan and infrastructure in place to drastically increase testing and 
tracing —&nbsp; the latter involving discovering infected people, finding out
 where they’ve been and getting a hold of people they may have come in 
contact with.In Kansas, that would include testing more than 
just people with symptoms, as well as having 15 investigators and 
contact tracers per 100,000 people. That’s about 400 tracers statewide.As
 of Tuesday, Kansas had about 220 tracers. So as the state Department of
 Health and Environment works to increase that capacity, the main 
responsibility will fall on county health departments.Johnson 
County, in eastern Kansas, has more than 600,000 people and about 600 
cases of COVID-19. However, the county has just five case investigators,
 which must have a medical or public health background in order to track
 down initial details when a person tests positive for COVID-19.And
 Holzschuh said there are about 17 people trained to work as contact 
tracers, who don’t necessarily need a health background to do the bulk 
of communicating to the ring of people with whom the infected person has
 been in contact.Johnson County, as well Sedgwick and Douglas, rely on technology as a force multiplier.“We
 are actually texting them daily, asking them whether or not they’ve 
developed any signs or symptoms of COVID,” Holzschuh said. “So that 
really helps alleviate the staff needs in terms of just the volume of 
contact that we’ve gotten through these investigations.”Kansas officials are also looking at using phone data and <a href="https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Roadmap-to-Recovery/" target="_blank">apps from Google and Apple to trace and contact</a>, but it’s unlikely the state would be able to implement that anytime soon.“I
 personally think it’s a good idea,” KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said last
 week. “We want to make sure the technology is safe, it’s private, it 
works, and it’s helpful.”<h2>Reopening safely</h2>In
 Sedgwick County, which has among some of the highest counts of cases in
 the pandemic, epidemiology program manager Kaylee Hervey told <a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/coronavirus/article242603041.html" target="_blank">the Wichita Eagle </a>that
 contact tracers sometimes break the news that someone has the 
coronavirus. But, she said, about 80% of people already thought they may
 have been exposed.That’s not always the case. The coronavirus 
poses a challenge for health officials because anywhere from 25% to 40% 
of people are asymptomatic, said Danielle Allen, director of Harvard’s 
Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics.That means it’s harder to find people with COVID-19 and prevent it from spreading without testing and tracing on a bigger scale.“If
 you’re not that aggressive about following the chain of transmission, 
you won’t be able to actually decelerate the disease,” Allen said.Kansas moved into the <a href="https://covid.ks.gov/ad-astra-a-plan-to-reopen-kansas/" target="_blank">first phase</a>
 of loosening restrictions on May 4 — and the second phase is slated to 
start May 18 — without having the recommended amount of contact tracers 
in place.About 25 KDHE staffers have been assigned to lead 
detailed investigations of people with positive tests, Norman said. The 
state is also attempting to train 400 volunteers to perform the simpler 
task of reaching out to contacts; it’s already trained about 220 as of 
Tuesday.Johnson County credits stay-at-home orders for helping 
with its contact-tracing work. Even if someone was infected,&nbsp; Holzschuh 
said, they likely hadn’t spent much time near other people outside of 
immediate family. It minimized the number of people the tracers had to 
track down.“As soon as we reopen,” she cautioned, “the number of contacts are going to increase, as are the number of cases.”Experts
 said building contact-tracing capacity quickly is key to preventing an 
even worse wave of coronavirus infections in the next few months. 
Without it, states will likely have to slow down reopening, or go back 
to staying at home.“We are trying to do what’s best, but at the 
baseline, (reopening) is going to be a calculated risk,” said Sonia 
Jordan, director of informatics at Lawrence-Douglas County Public 
Health. “And just trying to keep our communities safe and healthy will 
always be our goal.”Brian Grimmett reports on the 
environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the 
Kansas News Service. You can follow him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/briangrimmett?lang=en" target="_blank">@briangrimmett</a> or email him at grimmett@kmuw.org.

Kansas needs more people tracing infections to stem resurgence

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a more than $3 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;aid package, a sweeping effort with $1 trillion for states and cities, “hazard pay” for essential workers and a new round of cash payments to individuals.

The House is expected to vote on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6">the package&nbsp;</a>as soon as Friday. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said there is no “urgency.” The Senate will wait until after Memorial Day to consider options.

“We must think big, for the people, now,” Pelosi said Tuesday from the speaker’s office at the Capitol.

“Not acting is the most expensive course,” she said.

Lines drawn, the latest pandemic response from Congress will test the House and Senate — and President Donald Trump — as Washington navigates the extraordinary crisis with the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ca81c7b25c28945361d716ed5835b658">health and economic security&nbsp;</a>at stake.

The Democrats’ Heroes Act is built around nearly $1 trillion for states, cities and tribal governments to avert layoffs, focused chiefly on $375 billion for smaller suburban and rural municipalities largely left out of earlier bills.

The bill will offer a fresh round of $1,200 direct cash aid to individuals, increased to up to $6,000 per household, and launches a $175 billion housing assistance fund to help pay rents and mortgages. There is $75 billion more for virus testing.

It would continue, through January, the $600-per-week boost to unemployment benefits. It adds a 15% increase for food stamps, new subsidies for laid-off workers to pay health insurance premiums under a COBRA law and a special “Obamacare” sign-up period. For businesses, it provides an employee retention tax credit.

There’s $200 billion in “hazard pay” for essential workers on the front lines of the crisis.

Pelosi drew on U.S. history — and poetry — to suggest “no man is an island” as she called on Americans to respond to the crisis with a strategy of science,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e64f20bbacb7d48d15e1d76339220486">virus testing&nbsp;</a>and empathy.

“There are those who said, ‘Let’s just pause,’” she said. “Hunger doesn’t take a pause. Rent doesn’t take a pause. Bills don’t take a pause.”

But the 1,800-page package is heading straight into a Senate roadblock.

Republicans are wary of another round of aid and McConnell declared the Democratic proposal a grab bag of “pet priorities.” He said Tuesday it is not something that “deals with reality.”

House Republicans also took a pass. “I can’t believe that that would be real,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., leader of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said in an interview.

This would be the fifth coronavirus package. It’s a starkly partisan offering with no real input from Republicans, who prefer to assess the impact of earlier expenditures before approving more.

But the political peril of doing nothing during an election year could prove challenging for Congress and the White House. As states experience flareups of virus outbreaks, and more than 30 million Americans remain unemployed in the shutdown, the near-term health and economic outlook remains daunting.

The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, warned that Trump and Republicans risk the same path as Herbert Hoover, the former president roundly criticized for failing to act to stem the Great Depression.

“What is it going to take for Mitch McConnell to wake up and see the American people need help, and they need it now?” Schumer said.

The latest package extends some provisions from previous aid packages, and adds new ones.

There is $25 billion for the U.S. Postal Service. There is help for the 2020 Census, including the bureau’s request to delay deadlines for turning over apportionment and redistricting data. For the November election, the bill provides $3.6 billion to help local officials prepare for the challenges of voting during the pandemic.

The popular Payroll Protection Program, which has been boosted in past bills, would see another $10 billion to ensure under-served businesses and nonprofit organizations have access to grants through a disaster loan program.

For hospitals and other health care providers, there’s another $100 billion infusion to help cover costs and additional help for hospitals serving low-income communities.

There’s another $600 million in funding to tackle the issue of rapid spread of the virus in state and federal prisons, along with $600 million in help to local police departments for salaries and equipment

McConnell said he is working with the White House on next steps. His priority is to ensure any new package includes liability protections for health care providers and businesses that are reopening. Trump is expected to meet Tuesday with a group of Senate Republicans.

“I don’t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately,” McConnell told reporters earlier this week at the Capitol.

As states weigh the health risks of re-opening, McConnell said Tuesday the nation needs to find a “middle ground between total lockdown and total normalcy.”

Top GOP senators flatly rejected the House bill. “What Nancy Pelosi is proposing will never pass the Senate,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican.

The Senate recently reopened its side of the Capitol while the House remains largely shuttered due to the health concerns.

Senators have been in session since last week, voting on Trump’s nominees for judicial and executive branch positions and other issues. The Senate majority, the 53-member Senate Republican conference, is meeting for its regular luncheons most days, spread out three to a table for social distance. Democrats are convening by phone. Many senators, but not all, are wearing masks.

At least a dozen Capitol police officers and other staff have tested positive for the virus, and at least one senator, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, is in isolation at home after exposure from a staff member who tested positive. Other lawmakers have cycled in and out of quarantine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589312031006.png" alt="House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced details of the $3T bill Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced details of the $3T bill Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a more than $3 trillion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">coronavirus</a>&nbsp;aid package, a sweeping effort with $1 trillion for states and cities, “hazard pay” for essential workers and a new round of cash payments to individuals.The House is expected to vote on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/55887a1d2b734020c8dae29004f087d6">the package&nbsp;</a>as soon as Friday. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said there is no “urgency.” The Senate will wait until after Memorial Day to consider options.“We must think big, for the people, now,” Pelosi said Tuesday from the speaker’s office at the Capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseDemocrats?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseDemocrats</a> introduced the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeroesAct?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeroesAct</a>, bold legislation to address the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. <a href="https://t.co/K2Pz9FR0Vu">https://t.co/K2Pz9FR0Vu</a>&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1260284334411579395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Not acting is the most expensive course,” she said.Lines drawn, the latest pandemic response from Congress will test the House and Senate — and President Donald Trump — as Washington navigates the extraordinary crisis with the nation’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ca81c7b25c28945361d716ed5835b658">health and economic security&nbsp;</a>at stake.The Democrats’ Heroes Act is built around nearly $1 trillion for states, cities and tribal governments to avert layoffs, focused chiefly on $375 billion for smaller suburban and rural municipalities largely left out of earlier bills.The bill will offer a fresh round of $1,200 direct cash aid to individuals, increased to up to $6,000 per household, and launches a $175 billion housing assistance fund to help pay rents and mortgages. There is $75 billion more for virus testing.It would continue, through January, the $600-per-week boost to unemployment benefits. It adds a 15% increase for food stamps, new subsidies for laid-off workers to pay health insurance premiums under a COBRA law and a special “Obamacare” sign-up period. For businesses, it provides an employee retention tax credit.There’s $200 billion in “hazard pay” for essential workers on the front lines of the crisis.Pelosi drew on U.S. history — and poetry — to suggest “no man is an island” as she called on Americans to respond to the crisis with a strategy of science,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/e64f20bbacb7d48d15e1d76339220486">virus testing&nbsp;</a>and empathy.“There are those who said, ‘Let’s just pause,’” she said. “Hunger doesn’t take a pause. Rent doesn’t take a pause. Bills don’t take a pause.”But the 1,800-page package is heading straight into a Senate roadblock.Republicans are wary of another round of aid and McConnell declared the Democratic proposal a grab bag of “pet priorities.” He said Tuesday it is not something that “deals with reality.”House Republicans also took a pass. “I can’t believe that that would be real,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., leader of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said in an interview.This would be the fifth coronavirus package. It’s a starkly partisan offering with no real input from Republicans, who prefer to assess the impact of earlier expenditures before approving more.But the political peril of doing nothing during an election year could prove challenging for Congress and the White House. As states experience flareups of virus outbreaks, and more than 30 million Americans remain unemployed in the shutdown, the near-term health and economic outlook remains daunting.The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, warned that Trump and Republicans risk the same path as Herbert Hoover, the former president roundly criticized for failing to act to stem the Great Depression.“What is it going to take for Mitch McConnell to wake up and see the American people need help, and they need it now?” Schumer said.The latest package extends some provisions from previous aid packages, and adds new ones.There is $25 billion for the U.S. Postal Service. There is help for the 2020 Census, including the bureau’s request to delay deadlines for turning over apportionment and redistricting data. For the November election, the bill provides $3.6 billion to help local officials prepare for the challenges of voting during the pandemic.The popular Payroll Protection Program, which has been boosted in past bills, would see another $10 billion to ensure under-served businesses and nonprofit organizations have access to grants through a disaster loan program.For hospitals and other health care providers, there’s another $100 billion infusion to help cover costs and additional help for hospitals serving low-income communities.There’s another $600 million in funding to tackle the issue of rapid spread of the virus in state and federal prisons, along with $600 million in help to local police departments for salaries and equipmentMcConnell said he is working with the White House on next steps. His priority is to ensure any new package includes liability protections for health care providers and businesses that are reopening. Trump is expected to meet Tuesday with a group of Senate Republicans.“I don’t think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately,” McConnell told reporters earlier this week at the Capitol.As states weigh the health risks of re-opening, McConnell said Tuesday the nation needs to find a “middle ground between total lockdown and total normalcy.”Top GOP senators flatly rejected the House bill. “What Nancy Pelosi is proposing will never pass the Senate,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the third-ranking Republican.The Senate recently reopened its side of the Capitol while the House remains largely shuttered due to the health concerns.Senators have been in session since last week, voting on Trump’s nominees for judicial and executive branch positions and other issues. The Senate majority, the 53-member Senate Republican conference, is meeting for its regular luncheons most days, spread out three to a table for social distance. Democrats are convening by phone. Many senators, but not all, are wearing masks.At least a dozen Capitol police officers and other staff have tested positive for the virus, and at least one senator, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, is in isolation at home after exposure from a staff member who tested positive. Other lawmakers have cycled in and out of quarantine.__

Dems' new $3T virus relief bill faces uphill battle in Senate

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Missouri nurse who died from COVID-19 filed a claim for death benefits Monday under the state's workers' compensation laws.

Celia Yap-Banago, 69, died April 21 after caring for a patient with COVID-19 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City. Her family, attorneys and the National United Nurses Union contend she died because she and other nurses at the hospital did not have adequate personal protective equipment while caring for patients with the coronavirus.

Attorneys Brent and Kristie Welder said in a news release that Yap-Banago and another nurse cared for a patient with coronavirus on March 22-23. Both nurses asked their supervisors for PPE for everyone who came in contact with the patient but the equipment was not provided, the attorneys said.

After the patient died, Yap-Banago quarantined at her home but died after fighting the virus for a month. The other nurse who treated the patient also developed COVID-19 but recovered, the attorneys said.

The claim was filed on behalf of the husband and two sons of Yap-Banago, who worked at Research for 40 years and had been planning to retire in April.

HCA Midwest, which operates Research Medical, issued a statement Tuesday praising Yap-Banago's 40-year career at Research and her impact on her patients and co-workers. The statement did not address the allegations about nurses not having PPE, although the company has denied that in the past. It said HCA Midwest looks forward to a swift resolution of the workers' compensation claim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589365278451.png" alt="Celia Yap-Banago courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Celia Yap-Banago courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Attorneys for the family of a Missouri nurse who died from COVID-19 filed a claim for death benefits Monday under the state's workers' compensation laws.Celia Yap-Banago, 69, died April 21 after caring for a patient with COVID-19 at Research Medical Center in Kansas City. Her family, attorneys and the National United Nurses Union contend she died because she and other nurses at the hospital did not have adequate personal protective equipment while caring for patients with the coronavirus.Attorneys Brent and Kristie Welder said in a news release that Yap-Banago and another nurse cared for a patient with coronavirus on March 22-23. Both nurses asked their supervisors for PPE for everyone who came in contact with the patient but the equipment was not provided, the attorneys said.After the patient died, Yap-Banago quarantined at her home but died after fighting the virus for a month. The other nurse who treated the patient also developed COVID-19 but recovered, the attorneys said.The claim was filed on behalf of the husband and two sons of Yap-Banago, who worked at Research for 40 years and had been planning to retire in April.HCA Midwest, which operates Research Medical, issued a statement Tuesday praising Yap-Banago's 40-year career at Research and her impact on her patients and co-workers. The statement did not address the allegations about nurses not having PPE, although the company has denied that in the past. It said HCA Midwest looks forward to a swift resolution of the workers' compensation claim.

Family files claim in Kansas City nurse's death from coronavirus 

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of the May 7, double homicide in which two men, Dillon Spencer, 21, and Aaron Villarreal, 19, were found shot to death in Junction City.

Police have issued a warrant for two counts of First Degree Murder for 21-year-old Nathaniel Roderick Holmes in connection with the deaths, according to Police Captain Trish Giordano

Giordano said police are also looking for a person of interest who goes by "J." 

Law enforcement is requesting the public's assistance to help locate him.

Anyone with information leading to the identification of "J" and the locations of either subject will be eligible for a $1,000 reward for each subject. You can call Crime Stoppers at 785-762-8477 or leave a WebTip.&nbsp;

GEARY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation of the May 7, double homicide in which two men, Dillon Spencer, 21, and Aaron Villarreal, 19, were found shot to death in Junction City.Police have issued a warrant for two counts of First Degree Murder for 21-year-old Nathaniel Roderick Holmes in connection with the deaths, according to Police Captain Trish Giordano<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589324672466.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nathaniel Roderick HolmesGiordano said police are also looking for a person of interest who goes by "J." <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589366829149.png" alt=""J"&nbsp; photo Junction City Police" />
 <figcaption>"J"&nbsp; photo Junction City Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Law enforcement is requesting the public's assistance to help locate him.Anyone with information leading to the identification of "J" and the locations of either subject will be eligible for a $1,000 reward for each subject. You can call Crime Stoppers at 785-762-8477 or leave a WebTip.&nbsp;

Reward offered to help locate suspects in Junction City shooting deaths

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 9:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to call at a home in the 4900 block of East Murdock in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the home, police located 36-year-old Sarah Phillips of Wichita unresponsive with trauma to her head.&nbsp; She was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;

On Sunday, investigators contacted 27-year-old&nbsp; Isaac Pankratz at a home in the 2500 block of West Wildwood regarding the investigation.&nbsp; He was arrested after being found in possession of a sawed-off shotgun.&nbsp; The gun was recovered.

Through further investigation, it was learned the incident was a criminal homicide and that Pankratz and Phillips were both at the home on Murdock when he fired the shotgun, striking her and causing fatal injuries, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Pankratz then fled the scene.&nbsp;

This was not a random incident as Pankratz and Phillips are known to each other. Pankratz is being held on a charge of 1st-degree murder, according to Davidson.

He has been arrested and convicted of charges that include robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and burglary.

The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589311342492.png" alt="Pankratz was released from prison in April, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has previous convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and burglary." />
 <figcaption>Pankratz was released from prison in April, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He has previous convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and burglary.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.Just after 9:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to call at a home in the 4900 block of East Murdock in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.At the home, police located 36-year-old Sarah Phillips of Wichita unresponsive with trauma to her head.&nbsp; She was pronounced deceased on the scene.&nbsp;On Sunday, investigators contacted 27-year-old&nbsp; Isaac Pankratz at a home in the 2500 block of West Wildwood regarding the investigation.&nbsp; He was arrested after being found in possession of a sawed-off shotgun.&nbsp; The gun was recovered.Through further investigation, it was learned the incident was a criminal homicide and that Pankratz and Phillips were both at the home on Murdock when he fired the shotgun, striking her and causing fatal injuries, according to Davidson.&nbsp; Pankratz then fled the scene.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589311083072.png" alt="Pankratz booking photo from Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Pankratz booking photo from Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>This was not a random incident as Pankratz and Phillips are known to each other. Pankratz is being held on a charge of 1st-degree murder, according to Davidson.He has been arrested and convicted of charges that include robbery, aggravated assault, theft, and burglary.The case will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Man released from Kan. prison last month arrested for woman's murder

Belle Plaine, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a civil rights rights group seeking the immediate release of prisoners who have preexisting medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the new coronavirus.

Leavenworth District Judge David King dismissed on Friday the class action petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ac07990b544da59f4a72588fe2a58f2f">on behalf of seven inmates</a>&nbsp;at the Lansing Correctional Facility, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Topeka Correctional Facility and others similarly situated.

The district court found the ACLU didn’t prove that jail officials either failed to meet their constitutional duty to provide adequate medical care or acted with deliberate indifference to the inmates’ serious medical needs.

“We respect the court’s decision and will continue our work to ensure the health and safety of those that we serve,” said department spokeswoman Rebecca White.

The judge noted documents showed the Kansas Department of Corrections has “undertaken appropriate efforts to protect the inmate population in Kansas correctional facilities from COVID-19.”

“We are definitely disappointed for our clients who continue to face dangerous and declining conditions inside Lansing,” ACLU executive director Nadine Johnson said Tuesday. She said the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates/kdoc-covid-19-status" target="_blank">positive cases has ballooned</a>&nbsp;and argued that the state’s efforts are not enough.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586477437695.png" alt="A coronavirus outbreak has sickened hundreds of people at the largest prison in Kansas and claimed the life of a staff member, the state Corrections Department said Tuesday" />
 <figcaption>A coronavirus outbreak has sickened hundreds of people at the largest prison in Kansas and claimed the life of a staff member, the state Corrections Department said Tuesday</figcaption>
 </figure>Belle Plaine, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a civil rights rights group seeking the immediate release of prisoners who have preexisting medical conditions that make them vulnerable to the new coronavirus.Leavenworth District Judge David King dismissed on Friday the class action petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ac07990b544da59f4a72588fe2a58f2f">on behalf of seven inmates</a>&nbsp;at the Lansing Correctional Facility, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Topeka Correctional Facility and others similarly situated.The district court found the ACLU didn’t prove that jail officials either failed to meet their constitutional duty to provide adequate medical care or acted with deliberate indifference to the inmates’ serious medical needs.“We respect the court’s decision and will continue our work to ensure the health and safety of those that we serve,” said department spokeswoman Rebecca White.The judge noted documents showed the Kansas Department of Corrections has “undertaken appropriate efforts to protect the inmate population in Kansas correctional facilities from COVID-19.”“We are definitely disappointed for our clients who continue to face dangerous and declining conditions inside Lansing,” ACLU executive director Nadine Johnson said Tuesday. She said the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doc.ks.gov/kdoc-coronavirus-updates/kdoc-covid-19-status" target="_blank">positive cases has ballooned</a>&nbsp;and argued that the state’s efforts are not enough.

Court throws out lawsuit on inmate safety at Kansas prisons

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are turning to virtual meetings to prepare for an upcoming session aimed at dealing with the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, as researchers examine the state’s wastewater to look for clues about how the virus is spreading.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr, a Kansas City-area Republican, says that the virtual meetings, which will be broadcast live on the Legislature’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M190CZd3Lg&amp;feature=youtu.be">YouTube channel,</a>&nbsp;are now underway before the Legislature reconvenes on May 21.

“We’re going to take care of COVID-related legislation that legitimately serves the best interests of our families, our first responders and our economy,” Ryckman said.

Among the issues that committees are discussing are the allocation of federal relief funding and the Kansas Department of Labor’s dated information technology infrastructure, which has been overwhelmed by the surge in unemployment claims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589315735016.png" alt="Members of the House Taxation committee met via video conference late Tuesday afternoon" />
 <figcaption>Members of the House Taxation committee met via video conference late Tuesday afternoon</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are turning to virtual meetings to prepare for an upcoming session aimed at dealing with the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, as researchers examine the state’s wastewater to look for clues about how the virus is spreading.House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr, a Kansas City-area Republican, says that the virtual meetings, which will be broadcast live on the Legislature’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M190CZd3Lg&amp;feature=youtu.be">YouTube channel,</a>&nbsp;are now underway before the Legislature reconvenes on May 21.“We’re going to take care of COVID-related legislation that legitimately serves the best interests of our families, our first responders and our economy,” Ryckman said.Among the issues that committees are discussing are the allocation of federal relief funding and the Kansas Department of Labor’s dated information technology infrastructure, which has been overwhelmed by the surge in unemployment claims.

Kansas lawmakers meet online to prep for session on virus

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned bluntly Tuesday of “really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly, even as President Donald Trump pushes them to act to right a free-falling economy.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay&nbsp;the Senate hearing.

Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee that included Kansas Senator Pat Roberts came as more than two dozen states have begun to lift their lockdowns as a first step toward economic recovery.

Underscoring the seriousness of the pandemic that has reached Congress and the White House, Fauci and other experts testified by video from their homes. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chaired the hearing by video from the study in his cabin in Tennessee, though several members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee did attend at the Capitol.

Fauci and other health officials stressed that pandemic danger persists, even as testing increases and work toward a vaccine and treatments continues.

More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared communities are to stamp out those sparks will determine how bad the rebound is, Fauci told the senators.

“There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” Fauci said.

And if there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.”

In fact, he said opening too soon “could turn the clock back,” and that not only would cause “some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.”

Fauci was among the health experts testifying Tuesday to the Senate panel, as Trump has been praising states that are reopening after the prolonged lockdown aimed at controlling the virus’s spread.

Committee chairman Alexander said as the hearing opened that “what our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.”

Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in U.S. alone. Asked if the U.S. mortality count was correct, Fauci said, “the number is likely higher. I don’t know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it’s higher.”

Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping the response to COVID-19, testified via video conference after self-quarantining as a White House staffer tested positive for the virus.

With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump has been anxious to reopen states for business.

<a href="https://apnews.com/4aca168a247602a2573ba94347045b30">A recent Associated Press review determined that 17 states did not meet a key White House benchmark&nbsp;</a>for loosening restrictions — a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. Yet many of those have begun to reopen or are about to do so, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.

Of the 33 states that have had a 14-day downward trajectory of either cases or positive test rates, 25 are partially opened or moving to reopen within days, the AP analysis found. Other states that have not seen a 14-day decline, remain closed despite meeting some benchmarks.

Besides Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health, the other experts include FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — both in self-quarantine—and Adm. Brett Giroir, the coronavirus “testing czar” at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The event Tuesday got underway in the committee’s storied hearing room, but that’s about all that remained of the pre-pandemic way of conducting oversight. The senators running the event, Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, were heads on video screens, with an array of personal items in the background as they isolated back home.

A few senators, such as Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, personally attended the session in the hearing room. They wore masks, as did an array of aides buzzing behind them.

The health committee hearing offers a very different setting from the White House coronavirus task force briefings the administration witnesses have all participated in. Most significantly, Trump did not control the agenda.

Eyeing the November elections, the president has been urging on protesters who oppose their state governors’ stay-at-home orders, while expressing his own confidence that the coronavrius will fade away as summer advances and Americans return to work and other pursuits.

The U.S. has seen at least 1.3 million infections and nearly 81,000 confirmed deaths from the virus, the highest toll in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Separately, one expert from the World Health Organization has already warned that some countries are “driving blind” into reopening their economies without having strong systems to track new outbreaks. And three countries that do have robust tracing systems — South Korea, Germany and China — have already seen new outbreaks after lockdown rules were relaxed.

U.S. contact tracing remains a patchwork of approaches and readiness levels. States are hiring contact tracers but experts say tens of thousands will be needed across the country.

WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said Germany and South Korea have good contact tracing that hopefully can detect and stop virus clusters before they get out of control. But he said other nations — which he did not name — have not effectively employed investigators to contact people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine before they can spread the virus.

“Shutting your eyes and trying to drive through this blind is about as silly an equation as I’ve seen,” Ryan said. “Certain countries are setting themselves up for some seriously blind driving over the next few months.”

Apple, Google, some U.S. states and European countries are developing contact-tracing apps that show whether someone has crossed paths with an infected person. But experts say the technology only supplements and does not replace labor-intensive human work.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon, "the consequences could be really serious.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589293349894.png" alt="First ever U.S. Senate hearing with witnesses and chairman appearing via video conference. Those in attendance practice social distancing on Tuesday moring. The public is not in attendance at the hearing-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>First ever U.S. Senate hearing with witnesses and chairman appearing via video conference. Those in attendance practice social distancing on Tuesday moring. The public is not in attendance at the hearing-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned bluntly Tuesday of “really serious” consequences of suffering, death and deeper economic damage if state and local officials lift stay-at-home orders too quickly, even as President Donald Trump pushes them to act to right a free-falling economy.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay&nbsp;the Senate hearing.Fauci’s testimony before a Senate committee that included Kansas Senator Pat Roberts came as more than two dozen states have begun to lift their lockdowns as a first step toward economic recovery.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589299908069.png" alt="Kansas Senator Pat Roberts wore gloves and&nbsp; participated in Tuesday's first ever Senate hearing via video conference. Roberts referred to the dramatic number of virus patients identified in his hometown of Dodge City. -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Senator Pat Roberts wore gloves and&nbsp; participated in Tuesday's first ever Senate hearing via video conference. Roberts referred to the dramatic number of virus patients identified in his hometown of Dodge City. -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Underscoring the seriousness of the pandemic that has reached Congress and the White House, Fauci and other experts testified by video from their homes. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chaired the hearing by video from the study in his cabin in Tennessee, though several members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee did attend at the Capitol.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589296928199.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci during Tuesday's video conference before the U.S. Senate committee" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci during Tuesday's video conference before the U.S. Senate committee</figcaption>
 </figure>Fauci and other health officials stressed that pandemic danger persists, even as testing increases and work toward a vaccine and treatments continues.More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared communities are to stamp out those sparks will determine how bad the rebound is, Fauci told the senators.“There is no doubt, even under the best of circumstances, when you pull back on mitigation you will see some cases appear,” Fauci said.And if there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.”In fact, he said opening too soon “could turn the clock back,” and that not only would cause “some suffering and death that could be avoided, but could even set you back on the road to try to get economic recovery.”Fauci was among the health experts testifying Tuesday to the Senate panel, as Trump has been praising states that are reopening after the prolonged lockdown aimed at controlling the virus’s spread.Committee chairman Alexander said as the hearing opened that “what our country has done so far in testing is impressive, but not nearly enough.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589293586428.png" alt="Missouri Senator Roy Blunt watched the opening of the hearing Tuesday morning-image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Missouri Senator Roy Blunt watched the opening of the hearing Tuesday morning-image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 287,000 — more than 80,000 in U.S. alone. Asked if the U.S. mortality count was correct, Fauci said, “the number is likely higher. I don’t know exactly what percent higher but almost certainly it’s higher.”Fauci, a member of the coronavirus task force charged with shaping the response to COVID-19, testified via video conference after self-quarantining as a White House staffer tested positive for the virus.With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump has been anxious to reopen states for business.<a href="https://apnews.com/4aca168a247602a2573ba94347045b30">A recent Associated Press review determined that 17 states did not meet a key White House benchmark&nbsp;</a>for loosening restrictions — a 14-day downward trajectory in new cases or positive test rates. Yet many of those have begun to reopen or are about to do so, including Alabama, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.Of the 33 states that have had a 14-day downward trajectory of either cases or positive test rates, 25 are partially opened or moving to reopen within days, the AP analysis found. Other states that have not seen a 14-day decline, remain closed despite meeting some benchmarks.Besides Fauci, of the National Institutes of Health, the other experts include FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — both in self-quarantine—and Adm. Brett Giroir, the coronavirus “testing czar” at the Department of Health and Human Services.The event Tuesday got underway in the committee’s storied hearing room, but that’s about all that remained of the pre-pandemic way of conducting oversight. The senators running the event, Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, were heads on video screens, with an array of personal items in the background as they isolated back home.A few senators, such as Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy, personally attended the session in the hearing room. They wore masks, as did an array of aides buzzing behind them.The health committee hearing offers a very different setting from the White House coronavirus task force briefings the administration witnesses have all participated in. Most significantly, Trump did not control the agenda.Eyeing the November elections, the president has been urging on protesters who oppose their state governors’ stay-at-home orders, while expressing his own confidence that the coronavrius will fade away as summer advances and Americans return to work and other pursuits.The U.S. has seen at least 1.3 million infections and nearly 81,000 confirmed deaths from the virus, the highest toll in the world by far, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.Separately, one expert from the World Health Organization has already warned that some countries are “driving blind” into reopening their economies without having strong systems to track new outbreaks. And three countries that do have robust tracing systems — South Korea, Germany and China — have already seen new outbreaks after lockdown rules were relaxed.U.S. contact tracing remains a patchwork of approaches and readiness levels. States are hiring contact tracers but experts say tens of thousands will be needed across the country.WHO’s emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said Germany and South Korea have good contact tracing that hopefully can detect and stop virus clusters before they get out of control. But he said other nations — which he did not name — have not effectively employed investigators to contact people who test positive, track down their contacts and get them into quarantine before they can spread the virus.“Shutting your eyes and trying to drive through this blind is about as silly an equation as I’ve seen,” Ryan said. “Certain countries are setting themselves up for some seriously blind driving over the next few months.”Apple, Google, some U.S. states and European countries are developing contact-tracing apps that show whether someone has crossed paths with an infected person. But experts say the technology only supplements and does not replace labor-intensive human work.-----------WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, is warning Congress that if the country reopens too soon, "the consequences could be really serious.”<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the Senate hearing that began at 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.Fauci is among the experts testifying to a Senate panel as its hearing opened on Tuesday. His testimony comes as President Donald Trump is pressuring states to reopen after the prolonged lock-down aimed at controlling the virus’ spread. With the U.S. economy in free-fall and more than 30 million people unemployed, Trump wants to restart the economy. Worldwide, the virus has infected nearly 4.2 million people and killed over 286,000. Some countries that have relaxed lock-down rules have seen new outbreaks.-----------WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci says the government is working on several potential vaccines for COVID-19.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the Senate hearing that began at 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589292074301.png" alt="Members of the U.S. Senate gather ahead of Tuesday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the U.S. Senate gather ahead of Tuesday's hearing -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>“We have many candidates and hope to have many winners,” he told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee. “In other words, it is many shots on goal.”Despite the rapid pace of work on vaccines, Fauci was offering no guarantees. He says, “The big unknown is efficacy.”Fauci heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and is the government’s leading expert on the pandemic. He says he hopes to have a vaccine in advanced trials by late fall or early winter.___WASHINGTON — The government’s leading infectious disease expert says he intends to warn the nation Tuesday that “needless suffering and death” will result from a rushed reopening of the economy.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?471837-1/white-house-coronavirus-task-force-members-testify-coronavirus-response-reopening-phases">Click here to watch</a> the Senate hearing that begins 9a.m. CDT and is expected to last approximately 3 hours.Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee at a hearing assessing reopening plans.In an email to the New York Times, Fauci said his major message will concern the danger of trying to open the country.“If we skip over the checkpoints in the guidelines to ‘Open America Again,’ then we risk the danger of multiple outbreaks throughout the country,” Fauci wrote. “This will not only result in needless suffering and death, but would actually set us back on our quest to return to normal.”This puts Fauci at odds with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged governors to lift business closings and stay-at-home orders.___