KANSAS CITy (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a man's murder conviction in a deadly 2018 shooting outside of a suburban Kansas City shopping mall because during his trial, he wasn't allowed to argue that he had acted in self-defense.

The high court ruled that the trial judge hamstrung Tyler Gates' attorneys by not allowing them to argue it was self-defense and violated Gates' constitutional rights.

Jurors convicted Gates in June 2019 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 17-year-old Matthew Haylock at the Independence Center. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Gates’ co-defendant, Luis Ramirez, was sentenced to concurrent terms of eight years in prison for attempted robbery and three years for armed criminal action in the same case.

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred after Gates, who was 18 at the time, and Ramirez, who was also a teen, decided to rob Haylock of a gun. Gates, however, claims he did not rob Haylock. He said he fired in self-defense after Haylock tried to rob him. But he was barred from presenting the self-defense argument at his trial.

The state Supreme Court's ruling sends the case back to a lower court.

Gates’ attorney, Jeannie Willibey, said in a statement that she is “pleased that the Court upheld the fundamental right of a criminal defendant to tell the jury in his own words his version of what happened” and added that “fairness requires a new trial.”

A spokesman for the Jackson County prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640128466324.png" alt="Gates-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>Gates-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITy (AP) — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a man's murder conviction in a deadly 2018 shooting outside of a suburban Kansas City shopping mall because during his trial, he wasn't allowed to argue that he had acted in self-defense.The high court ruled that the trial judge hamstrung Tyler Gates' attorneys by not allowing them to argue it was self-defense and violated Gates' constitutional rights.Jurors convicted Gates in June 2019 of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of 17-year-old Matthew Haylock at the Independence Center. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.Gates’ co-defendant, Luis Ramirez, was sentenced to concurrent terms of eight years in prison for attempted robbery and three years for armed criminal action in the same case.Prosecutors said the shooting occurred after Gates, who was 18 at the time, and Ramirez, who was also a teen, decided to rob Haylock of a gun. Gates, however, claims he did not rob Haylock. He said he fired in self-defense after Haylock tried to rob him. But he was barred from presenting the self-defense argument at his trial.The state Supreme Court's ruling sends the case back to a lower court.Gates’ attorney, Jeannie Willibey, said in a statement that she is “pleased that the Court upheld the fundamental right of a criminal defendant to tell the jury in his own words his version of what happened” and added that “fairness requires a new trial.”A spokesman for the Jackson County prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

High court tosses KC-area mall shooting murder conviction

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

Three people were injured in a two-vehicle wreck Tuesday afternoon northwest of Salina.

Chad Markby, 38, of Culver, was northbound on N. Hedville Road in a 2011 Ford F250 pickup when he crossed the center line and side-swiped a southbound 2020 General Motors FedEx van driven by April Padget, 38, of Salina, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning. The collision occurred at approximately 2:23 p.m. Tuesday just north of the intersection with Watkins Road.

Markby told deputies that he was attempting to take his jacket off at the time of the collision, Soldan said.

Padget complained of left shoulder pain and knee pain and was transported by EMS to Salina Regional Health Center. A passenger in the FedEx van, Nikki Snell, 55, of Salina, received minor injuries, but was not transported to Salina Regional. Additionally, Markby had minor injuries, but was not transported to Salina Regional, Soldan said.

Both vehicles sustained driver-side damage, Soldan said.

Markby was cited for improper driving on a laned roadway, Soldan said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640193723963.jpeg" alt="The pickup involved in the crash&nbsp;Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>The pickup involved in the crash&nbsp;Photos Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostThree people were injured in a two-vehicle wreck Tuesday afternoon northwest of Salina.Chad Markby, 38, of Culver, was northbound on N. Hedville Road in a 2011 Ford F250 pickup when he crossed the center line and side-swiped a southbound 2020 General Motors FedEx van driven by April Padget, 38, of Salina, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning. The collision occurred at approximately 2:23 p.m. Tuesday just north of the intersection with Watkins Road.Markby told deputies that he was attempting to take his jacket off at the time of the collision, Soldan said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640193834651.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The FedEx vanPadget complained of left shoulder pain and knee pain and was transported by EMS to Salina Regional Health Center. A passenger in the FedEx van, Nikki Snell, 55, of Salina, received minor injuries, but was not transported to Salina Regional. Additionally, Markby had minor injuries, but was not transported to Salina Regional, Soldan said.Both vehicles sustained driver-side damage, Soldan said.Markby was cited for improper driving on a laned roadway, Soldan said.

3 injured after pickup side-swipes FedEx van on Kansas highway

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.

Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.

At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.

His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.

“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”

Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.

The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>

“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”

Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.

A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.

It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.

Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.

The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”

Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.

Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.

In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.

As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.

But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.

Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.

Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.

“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.

Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”

“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.

He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.

“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”

Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.

Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.

In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640115794186.png" alt="At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"" />
 <figcaption>At the White House on Tuesday, President Biden asked those on social media and cable TV who he believes are spreading COVID vaccine misinformation to "stop it, stop it now!"</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced the government will provide 500 million free rapid home-testing kits, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.Click below to listen to the President's statement on vaccine misinformation.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/95NfeWiJfRs?start=699" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>At the White House on Tuesday, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are not yet fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-nhl-technology-entertainment-sports-4e3dde5757172cc9124774e13ea7c47a">schools or businesses.</a>“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”Scientists don’t know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protection against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate since it was identified in South Africa about a month ago that the Biden administration snapped into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>. Still more is needed, some medical experts said.A cornerstone of the plan is for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge. The 500 million could be increased, depending on developments.It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of testing problems at a critical time. Testing advocates point to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-lifestyle-holidays-europe-f225f13329feb22eb525bb8931ac7e4c">nations including the U.K. and Germany,</a>&nbsp;which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb">will open in New York</a>&nbsp;this week. The new sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Also, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. And there are plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, it can transport patients to open beds in another. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.Biden said in response to a question that he may lift the Southern Africa travel ban that was imposed to delay omicron from reaching the U.S.Some prominent experts said that Biden’s new actions are a step in the right direction but he hasn’t gone far enough, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Hotez said the government may need to authorize a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but “we need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol.He said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order a ban on air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. He cleared his throat several times at Tuesday’s event but spoke firmly and appeared fine.In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.___

🎥 Biden on vaccine misinformation: Stop it, stop it now!

SHAWNEE COUNTY–&nbsp; Sheriff Brian C. Hill announced&nbsp; the final results of the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office’s recent Operation Grinch that occurred Sunday, December 12 through Saturday, December 18, 2021.

During Operation Grinch, law enforcement officers with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Topeka Police Department joined together to target individuals with burglary and theft warrants for their arrest.

A total of 271 warrants were attempted to be served. Of those, 53 warrants were successfully served including 20 felony warrants, 24 misdemeanor warrants and 9 City of Topeka warrants.

There were 38 individuals arrested during Operation Grinch.

Over the last several years, the number of burglary and theft calls have been impressively decreasing.

“Operation Grinch is a continued proactive approach aimed at keeping our community safe for our citizens during the holidays,” stated Sheriff Brian Hill. “The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office will continue these enforcement efforts in order to ensure that our community remains safe.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640173424400.png" alt="Authorities arrested 44-year-old Frank Zbierski on requested aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery on Dec. 15, according to online jail records." />
 <figcaption>Authorities arrested 44-year-old Frank Zbierski on requested aggravated burglary, aggravated assault and aggravated battery on Dec. 15, according to online jail records.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY–&nbsp; Sheriff Brian C. Hill announced&nbsp; the final results of the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office’s recent Operation Grinch that occurred Sunday, December 12 through Saturday, December 18, 2021.During Operation Grinch, law enforcement officers with the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office and the Topeka Police Department joined together to target individuals with burglary and theft warrants for their arrest.A total of 271 warrants were attempted to be served. Of those, 53 warrants were successfully served including 20 felony warrants, 24 misdemeanor warrants and 9 City of Topeka warrants.There were 38 individuals arrested during Operation Grinch.Over the last several years, the number of burglary and theft calls have been impressively decreasing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640173044539.png" alt="The graphs show that decrease from the same time frame, November 15 to December 15, over the last three years." />
 <figcaption>The graphs show that decrease from the same time frame, November 15 to December 15, over the last three years.</figcaption>
 </figure>“Operation Grinch is a continued proactive approach aimed at keeping our community safe for our citizens during the holidays,” stated Sheriff Brian Hill. “The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office will continue these enforcement efforts in order to ensure that our community remains safe.”

Sheriff: 38 in Kansas jail during 2021 Operation Grinch 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California health care workers will be required to have coronavirus booster shots to ensure that hospitals are ready to deal with a surge in cases as the more-transmissible omicron variant spreads throughout the state.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order Tuesday on his personal Twitter account and planned to provide more details at a Wednesday news conference.

California already requires health care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a directive that took effect in September and has since led to the firing or suspension of thousands of people. Now it will join New Mexico as at least the second state to require booster shots for health care workers.

Last week, Newsom, who imposed the first statewide shutdown order in March 2020, warned that cases would likely rise and re-imposed a rule requiring everyone to wear masks at public indoor gatherings.

Concerns stem from the rise of omicron, which as of Monday was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">dominant variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus in the United States. Areas in the Midwest and Northeast are seeing the biggest jump in cases and hospitalizations amid frigid temperatures that have kept people indoors.

Much about the variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness. Scientists say omicron spreads more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a third shot for the best chance at preventing infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.

California has so far fared far better than many other states. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists California as a place with “high” transmission of the virus, along with nearly everywhere else in the country. But in the last week California averaged 114 new cases per 100,000 people, less than half the national rate.

While 70% of Californians have been fully vaccinated, that still leaves 30% — or roughly 12 million people — who haven’t been. The California Department of Public Health says people who are not vaccinated are seven times more likely to get infected, nearly 13 times more likely to be hospitalized and nearly 16 times more likely to die from the coronavirus.

Coronavirus related hospitalizations have been rising slowly in California, up 15% in the last 11 days to 3,852. That’s less than half as many as during the late summer peak and one-fifth of a year ago, before vaccines were widely available.

But while hospitals overall have fewer patients than last winter, many have fewer workers to treat the patients they do have. The staffing shortage comes as businesses are having trouble finding workers, including hospitals. A recent study by the University of California-San Francisco estimated the state’s nursing shortage could persist until 2026.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California health care workers will be required to have coronavirus booster shots to ensure that hospitals are ready to deal with a surge in cases as the more-transmissible omicron variant spreads throughout the state.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CA will require healthcare workers to get their booster. As the Omicron variant continues to spread -- we’re stepping up efforts to get more people boosted and keep Californians safe. Tune in tomorrow for more info.<a href="https://t.co/6TcqHw4xhI">pic.twitter.com/6TcqHw4xhI</a>&mdash; Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1473471786423504898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the order Tuesday on his personal Twitter account and planned to provide more details at a Wednesday news conference.California already requires health care workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a directive that took effect in September and has since led to the firing or suspension of thousands of people. Now it will join New Mexico as at least the second state to require booster shots for health care workers.Last week, Newsom, who imposed the first statewide shutdown order in March 2020, warned that cases would likely rise and re-imposed a rule requiring everyone to wear masks at public indoor gatherings.Concerns stem from the rise of omicron, which as of Monday was the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7">dominant variant</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus in the United States. Areas in the Midwest and Northeast are seeing the biggest jump in cases and hospitalizations amid frigid temperatures that have kept people indoors.Much about the variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness. Scientists say omicron spreads more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a third shot for the best chance at preventing infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.California has so far fared far better than many other states. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists California as a place with “high” transmission of the virus, along with nearly everywhere else in the country. But in the last week California averaged 114 new cases per 100,000 people, less than half the national rate.While 70% of Californians have been fully vaccinated, that still leaves 30% — or roughly 12 million people — who haven’t been. The California Department of Public Health says people who are not vaccinated are seven times more likely to get infected, nearly 13 times more likely to be hospitalized and nearly 16 times more likely to die from the coronavirus.Coronavirus related hospitalizations have been rising slowly in California, up 15% in the last 11 days to 3,852. That’s less than half as many as during the late summer peak and one-fifth of a year ago, before vaccines were widely available.But while hospitals overall have fewer patients than last winter, many have fewer workers to treat the patients they do have. The staffing shortage comes as businesses are having trouble finding workers, including hospitals. A recent study by the University of California-San Francisco estimated the state’s nursing shortage could persist until 2026.___

Two states mandate COVID boosters for healthcare workers

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;woman has been sentenced to more than 31 years in prison for killing a 3-year-old girl in a case that drew attention to the agency responsible for overseeing young children in the state.

Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick was sentenced Monday, a little more than a month after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a law enforcement investigation.

Olivia Ann Jansen of Kansas City, Kansas, died in July 2020. Her body was found in a shallow grave, hours after her father reported her missing. A medical examiner's report later showed that she had signs of physical abuse and died of a brain bleed. Kirkpatrick and the child's father, Howard Jansen III, were arrested.

Jansen is scheduled to go to trial May 2 on a charge of first-degree murder.

Olivia’s death led to calls for changes at the Kansas Department of Children and Families. Information previously released by the agency shows it received two reports of alleged physical abuse involving Olivia in February 2020. One report alleged Olivia’s father hit her on the leg, leaving a bruise and possibly breaking the limb. The other report alleged Kilpatrick hit the girl. Both were ruled unsubstantiated after a person who alleged the abuse recanted.

The girl also was visited by a caseworker over a video call 11 days before she was found dead. That investigation stemmed from a hotline report from someone worried that her caregiver was unavailable or unable to care for her and may have been using drugs.

Child welfare officials also have acknowledged that they received repeated reports about a 2-year-old Wichita boy before he was found dead in a motel of a methadone overdose in May 2019. A 3-year-old Wichita boy’s body was found encased in concrete in 2017 after relatives repeatedly reported abuse. In the Kansas City area, a 7-year-old boy was tortured, starved, killed and fed to pigs in 2015 despite extensive involvement with welfare officials.

The state has taken several steps to address the issues, including creating an independent office to review complaints against the Kansas’ foster care system and recommend changes in child welfare policies, a longtime goal of advocates for abused and neglected children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594490776368.png" alt="Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Kirkpatrick-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;woman has been sentenced to more than 31 years in prison for killing a 3-year-old girl in a case that drew attention to the agency responsible for overseeing young children in the state.Jacqulyn Kirkpatrick was sentenced Monday, a little more than a month after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and interfering with a law enforcement investigation.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594403105823.png" alt="Olivia Jansen-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Olivia Jansen-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Olivia Ann Jansen of Kansas City, Kansas, died in July 2020. Her body was found in a shallow grave, hours after her father reported her missing. A medical examiner's report later showed that she had signs of physical abuse and died of a brain bleed. Kirkpatrick and the child's father, Howard Jansen III, were arrested.Jansen is scheduled to go to trial May 2 on a charge of first-degree murder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594468009097.png" alt="Jansen-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Jansen-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Olivia’s death led to calls for changes at the Kansas Department of Children and Families. Information previously released by the agency shows it received two reports of alleged physical abuse involving Olivia in February 2020. One report alleged Olivia’s father hit her on the leg, leaving a bruise and possibly breaking the limb. The other report alleged Kilpatrick hit the girl. Both were ruled unsubstantiated after a person who alleged the abuse recanted.The girl also was visited by a caseworker over a video call 11 days before she was found dead. That investigation stemmed from a hotline report from someone worried that her caregiver was unavailable or unable to care for her and may have been using drugs.Child welfare officials also have acknowledged that they received repeated reports about a 2-year-old Wichita boy before he was found dead in a motel of a methadone overdose in May 2019. A 3-year-old Wichita boy’s body was found encased in concrete in 2017 after relatives repeatedly reported abuse. In the Kansas City area, a 7-year-old boy was tortured, starved, killed and fed to pigs in 2015 despite extensive involvement with welfare officials.The state has taken several steps to address the issues, including creating an independent office to review complaints against the Kansas’ foster care system and recommend changes in child welfare policies, a longtime goal of advocates for abused and neglected children.

Kansas woman sentence in death of 3-year-old

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal wrong-way crash have identified 37-year-old Brandon White and 60-year-old Rayburn Langston, both of Wichita as the victims of the fatal accident that occurred Tuesday morning on Westbound Kellogg between Edwards and West Street, according to Officer Trevor Macy.

Just after 9:00 a.m., 911 received multiple calls concerning a wrong-way driver. An initial caller advised seeing a brown pickup truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kellogg from Interstate 235. 

A second 911 call was made concerning the same brown truck striking another vehicle. Wichita Police responded to the accident location in the Westbound lanes of Kellogg just west of the Edwards on-ramp. 

They located five vehicles involved and two injured drivers – identified as White and Rayburn. White was pronounced deceased on scene. Rayburn was transported to an area hospital, where he died.

Investigators learned that White was eastbound in the Westbound lanes of Kellogg in the brown pickup, driving in the centermost lane, when he sideswiped a westbound taxi cab. This caused the cab to strike a utility vehicle – neither the cab driver nor the utility vehicle driver were injured.

The brown pickup then went into the center lane and struck the white pickup truck driven by Rayburn head-on, causing the white pickup truck to spin and hit a delivery truck. The delivery driver was uninjured.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people are dead following a wrong-way accident involving two pickup trucks in Wichita. KSNW-TV reports that the accident happened shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. 

Police say a pickup traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kellogg Street struck several vehicles before colliding head-on with another pickup. 

The drivers of both pickups died — one at the scene and the other at a hospital. Two other vehicles were damaged but no additional injuries were reported. Police have not released the names of those killed in the accident.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640101853197.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash Tuesday-photo KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash Tuesday-photo KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal wrong-way crash have identified 37-year-old Brandon White and 60-year-old Rayburn Langston, both of Wichita as the victims of the fatal accident that occurred Tuesday morning on Westbound Kellogg between Edwards and West Street, according to Officer Trevor Macy.Just after 9:00 a.m., 911 received multiple calls concerning a wrong-way driver. An initial caller advised seeing a brown pickup truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kellogg from Interstate 235. A second 911 call was made concerning the same brown truck striking another vehicle. Wichita Police responded to the accident location in the Westbound lanes of Kellogg just west of the Edwards on-ramp. They located five vehicles involved and two injured drivers – identified as White and Rayburn. White was pronounced deceased on scene. Rayburn was transported to an area hospital, where he died.Investigators learned that White was eastbound in the Westbound lanes of Kellogg in the brown pickup, driving in the centermost lane, when he sideswiped a westbound taxi cab. This caused the cab to strike a utility vehicle – neither the cab driver nor the utility vehicle driver were injured.The brown pickup then went into the center lane and struck the white pickup truck driven by Rayburn head-on, causing the white pickup truck to spin and hit a delivery truck. The delivery driver was uninjured.----------WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two people are dead following a wrong-way accident involving two pickup trucks in Wichita. KSNW-TV reports that the accident happened shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. Police say a pickup traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Kellogg Street struck several vehicles before colliding head-on with another pickup. The drivers of both pickups died — one at the scene and the other at a hospital. Two other vehicles were damaged but no additional injuries were reported. Police have not released the names of those killed in the accident.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police ID 2 Kan. men who died in wrong-way, head-on crash 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An arrest warrant has been issued for a former nursing home owner on eight Medicaid fraud charges involving his facilities in Arkansas, the state’s <a href="https://arkansasag.gov/news_releases/rutledge-announces-arrest-warrant-issued-for-skyline-nursing-home-owner-joseph-schwartz/">attorney general said Monday.</a>

Joseph Schwartz also faces two counts of state tax violations for failing to pay taxes that were withheld from employees’ paychecks, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said.

Schwartz operated Skyline Health Care, which at one point held licenses for one out of every 10 nursing homes in the state. Schwartz has relinquished most of his nursing homes, including those in Arkansas, because of financial insolvency.

Schwartz’ attorney, Bill James, told the newspaper that his client is expected to surrender in January and that he will plead not guilty to the charges.

Schwartz was also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-sd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-ar-state-wire-acf33f73bd4412f55a74510c2b2119e8">sued in federal court</a>&nbsp;in 2020 by former employees in multiple states who claimed that they were left without health insurance even though money had been deducted from their paychecks. Five plaintiffs who worked at Skyline-operated facilities in South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Arkansas filed the suit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640106081276.png" alt="Attorney General Leslie Rutledge- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Attorney General Leslie Rutledge- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An arrest warrant has been issued for a former nursing home owner on eight Medicaid fraud charges involving his facilities in Arkansas, the state’s <a href="https://arkansasag.gov/news_releases/rutledge-announces-arrest-warrant-issued-for-skyline-nursing-home-owner-joseph-schwartz/">attorney general said Monday.</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640105791161.png" alt="Arkansas Attorney General's office" />
 <figcaption>Arkansas Attorney General's office</figcaption>
 </figure>Joseph Schwartz also faces two counts of state tax violations for failing to pay taxes that were withheld from employees’ paychecks, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge said.Schwartz operated Skyline Health Care, which at one point held licenses for one out of every 10 nursing homes in the state. Schwartz has relinquished most of his nursing homes, including those in Arkansas, because of financial insolvency.Schwartz’ attorney, Bill James, told the newspaper that his client is expected to surrender in January and that he will plead not guilty to the charges.Schwartz was also&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tn-state-wire-sd-state-wire-ne-state-wire-us-news-ar-state-wire-acf33f73bd4412f55a74510c2b2119e8">sued in federal court</a>&nbsp;in 2020 by former employees in multiple states who claimed that they were left without health insurance even though money had been deducted from their paychecks. Five plaintiffs who worked at Skyline-operated facilities in South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Arkansas filed the suit.

Arrest warrant issued for ex-nursing home owner with employees from Kansas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the government would provide 500 million free rapid tests, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516869-1/president-biden-announces-steps-tackle-omicron-surge">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch the President's comments

In remarks Tuesday at the White House, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the arrival of the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are yet not fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.

The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the likely wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of schools or businesses.

Scientists don’t yet know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate that the Biden administration snapped quickly into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>.

A cornerstone of the plan is Biden’s decision for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge, the White House said.

It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from their health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.

Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of problems with testing at a critical time. Testing advocates point to places like the U.K. and Germany, which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.

The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site will open in New York this week. The new testing sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”

In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Additionally, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. There are also plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.

As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, they can transport patients to open beds in other facilities. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.

Some prominent experts said that Biden’s plan is a step in the right direction but the president hasn’t gone far enough to try to get ahead of the virus, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.

Hotez said the government may need go a step further by authorizing a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.

Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” on testing with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but the type of test being provided is important at a time when the disease can spread quickly.

“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol. “We need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”

Topol said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order the Federal Aviation Administration to bar air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.

Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. Citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Psaki said Biden didn’t need to quarantine and would continue with his regular schedule.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640117297620.png" alt="President Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated." />
 <figcaption>President Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf">the omicron variant</a>&nbsp;surging through the country, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the government would provide 500 million free rapid tests, increase support for hospitals under strain and redouble vaccination and boosting efforts.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?516869-1/president-biden-announces-steps-tackle-omicron-surge">Click here&nbsp;</a>to watch the President's commentsIn remarks Tuesday at the White House, Biden detailed major changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/videos-0b3c9530137646c0b261750472007d27">his COVID-19 winter plan</a>, his hand forced by the arrival of the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are yet not fully understood by scientists. Yet his message was clear that the winter holidays could be close to normal for the vaccinated while potentially dangerous for the unvaccinated.His pleas are not political, he emphasized. He noted that former President Donald Trump has gotten his booster shot, and he said it’s Americans’ “patriotic duty” to get vaccinated.“It’s the only responsible thing to do,” the president said. “Omicron is serious and potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people.”Biden chastised social media and people on cable TV who have made misleading statements to discourage people from getting vaccinated.The outbreak from this latest strain of the coronavirus has required the federal government to get more aggressive in addressing the likely wave of infections, but Biden promised a weary nation that there would not be a mass lockdown of schools or businesses.“I know you’re tired, and I know you’re frustrated. We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it,” Biden said. “We also have more tools than we had before. We’re ready, we’ll get through this.”Scientists don’t yet know everything about omicron yet, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. The variant has spread at such an alarming rate that the Biden administration snapped quickly into action to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/12/21/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-new-actions-to-protect-americans-and-help-communities-and-hospitals-battle-omicron/" target="_blank">offer new tests and additional aid</a>.A cornerstone of the plan is Biden’s decision for the government to purchase 500 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-home-testing-kits-supply-demand-57f8ec4b7bc78d0e70216b91717287ee">coronavirus rapid tests</a>&nbsp;for free shipment to Americans starting in January. People will use a new website to order their tests, which will then be sent by U.S. mail at no charge, the White House said.It marks a major shift for Biden, who earlier had called for many Americans to purchase the hard-to-find tests on their own and then seek reimbursement from their health insurance. For the first time, the U.S. government will send free COVID-19 tests directly to Americans, after more than a year of urging by public health experts.Experts had criticized Biden’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-9939eee264b651fbc88f66c957a5e6e4">initial buy-first, get-paid-later approach</a>&nbsp;as unwieldy and warned that the U.S. would face another round of problems with testing at a critical time. Testing advocates point to places like the U.K. and Germany, which have distributed billions of tests to the public and recommend people test themselves twice a week.The federal government will also establish new testing sites and use&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-2019-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-bbb0f14dd5032760657c563565ecfe06">the Defense Production Act</a>&nbsp;to help manufacture more tests. The first new federally supported testing site will open in New York this week. The new testing sites will add to 20,000 already available. White House officials said they’re working with Google so that people will be able to find them by searching “free COVID test near me.”Still, Biden’s testing surge would need to be supported by a further jump in production for all Americans to test at the recommended rate of twice weekly. The U.S. would need 2.3 billion tests per month for everyone 12 and older to do that, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s nearly five times the half-billion tests Biden will deploy.Currently, the U.S. can conduct about 600 million tests per month, with home tests accounting for about half, according to researchers from Arizona State University.In another prong to Biden’s amped-up plan, he is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops with medical skills to assist hospitals buckling under the virus surge. Additionally, he is immediately sending federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. There are also plans to ready additional ventilators and protective equipment from the national stockpile, expanding hospital resources.As a backstop, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will deploy hundreds of ambulances and paramedic teams so that if one hospital fills up, they can transport patients to open beds in other facilities. Ambulances are already headed to New York and Maine, and paramedic teams are going to New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona.But vaccination remains the main defense, since it can head off disease in the first place. The government will support multiple vaccination sites and provide hundreds of personnel to administer shots. New rules will make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines to administer a broader range of shots.Some prominent experts said that Biden’s plan is a step in the right direction but the president hasn’t gone far enough to try to get ahead of the virus, given the risks of infections and hospitals being overwhelmed.“I don’t know that the measures being proposed are going to be adequate,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.Hotez said the government may need go a step further by authorizing a second booster shot for health care workers to prevent infections that would sideline clinicians when all hands are needed.Dr. Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said the administration “finally sees the light” on testing with Biden’s plan to ship 500 million tests, but the type of test being provided is important at a time when the disease can spread quickly.“We don’t have control of this pandemic here,” said Topol. “We need to pull out all the stops, and we’re not doing that still.”Topol said the government could redefine “fully vaccinated” as three shots instead of two of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Biden could order the Federal Aviation Administration to bar air travel by people who are not fully vaccinated, and the government could use its authority to ramp up production of high quality masks for free distribution.“There’s a lack of boldness,” Topol said. “I am disappointed.”Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It accounted for nearly three-quarters of new U.S. infections last week.Underscoring the reach of the virus, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. Citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Psaki said Biden didn’t need to quarantine and would continue with his regular schedule.In New York City,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-omicron-coronavirus-holidays-179cd759ed851789db86fa206986a736">nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive</a>&nbsp;from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available.___

 🎥 Biden details major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials continue working to speed up the distribution of aid money to help people avoid eviction.

More than 40% of the $169 million allocated to the state program has been given out so far, according to Ryan Vincent, executive director of the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation that is overseeing the aid program.

Kansas, like most states, fell short of the federal goal of distributing at least 65% of the aid money by Nov. 15,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/12/19/kansas-tries-boost-eviction-aid-renters-amid-uptick-fraudulent-applications-kera-arpa/8893425002/" target="_blank">according&nbsp;</a>to the Topeka Capital-Journal. Federal reporting shows only 10 states and the District of Columbia met that target.

But Vincent said Kansas has been making steady progress and roughly 32,000 Kansans have received help so far. The amount of aid money the state handed out has more than doubled since late August when it had given out just $31.9 million or about 17% of the total.

And Kansas isn’t in danger of having the federal government reclaim some of the money because the state had distributed at least 30% of the aid by the November deadline.

Initially the program had extensive requirements to help prevent fraud but those rules slowed the distribution of aid. Since then, the federal government has loosened some of its restrictions.

Vincent said officials are trying to balance getting the aid out quickly against making sure that applications are vetted properly.

“How do we make sure that we’re getting the dollars out the door to as many people for an emergency program as quickly as possible but also make sure that we’re doing it in a way that is a responsible stewardship of federal taxpayer funds,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594662436270.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials continue working to speed up the distribution of aid money to help people avoid eviction.More than 40% of the $169 million allocated to the state program has been given out so far, according to Ryan Vincent, executive director of the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation that is overseeing the aid program.Kansas, like most states, fell short of the federal goal of distributing at least 65% of the aid money by Nov. 15,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2021/12/19/kansas-tries-boost-eviction-aid-renters-amid-uptick-fraudulent-applications-kera-arpa/8893425002/" target="_blank">according&nbsp;</a>to the Topeka Capital-Journal. Federal reporting shows only 10 states and the District of Columbia met that target.But Vincent said Kansas has been making steady progress and roughly 32,000 Kansans have received help so far. The amount of aid money the state handed out has more than doubled since late August when it had given out just $31.9 million or about 17% of the total.And Kansas isn’t in danger of having the federal government reclaim some of the money because the state had distributed at least 30% of the aid by the November deadline.Initially the program had extensive requirements to help prevent fraud but those rules slowed the distribution of aid. Since then, the federal government has loosened some of its restrictions.Vincent said officials are trying to balance getting the aid out quickly against making sure that applications are vetted properly.“How do we make sure that we’re getting the dollars out the door to as many people for an emergency program as quickly as possible but also make sure that we’re doing it in a way that is a responsible stewardship of federal taxpayer funds,” he said.

Kansas officials work to speed distribution of eviction aid

Two people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash north of Salina late Monday afternoon.

A 2010 Toyota RAV4 was westbound on Granville Road just west of N. Ohio Street when it went off the south side of the road and rolled numerous times, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning.

The driver, Richard Wilson, 46, of Salina, was ejected from the vehicle. He suffered significant injuries and was transported by EMS to Salina Regional Health Center. Wilson was not using a seatbelt, he added.

A passenger in the vehicle, Michelle Peterson, 44, of Salina, received lacerations, but refused medical treatment, Soldan said. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident.

Soldan said investigators are awaiting test results before determining the cause of the wreck.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640105329741.jpeg" alt="The RAV4 was destroyed after rolling multiple times. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>The RAV4 was destroyed after rolling multiple times. Photos courtesy Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostTwo people were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash north of Salina late Monday afternoon.A 2010 Toyota RAV4 was westbound on Granville Road just west of N. Ohio Street when it went off the south side of the road and rolled numerous times, Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640105480614.jpeg" alt="Both occupants were injured when the RAV4 rolled." />
 <figcaption>Both occupants were injured when the RAV4 rolled.</figcaption>
 </figure>The driver, Richard Wilson, 46, of Salina, was ejected from the vehicle. He suffered significant injuries and was transported by EMS to Salina Regional Health Center. Wilson was not using a seatbelt, he added.A passenger in the vehicle, Michelle Peterson, 44, of Salina, received lacerations, but refused medical treatment, Soldan said. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident.Soldan said investigators are awaiting test results before determining the cause of the wreck.

Kansas man critically injured after ejected in rollover crash

WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2021-population-estimates.html?linkId=100000097331496">according to figures released Tuesday.</a>

The United States grew by only 0.1%, with only an additional 392,665 added to the U.S. population, from July 2020 to July 2021, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. has been experiencing slow population growth for years but the pandemic exacerbated that trend. This past year was the first time since 1937 that the nation’s population grew by less than 1 million people.

“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” said Kristie Wilder, a Census Bureau demographer. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in an historically slow pace of growth.”

The population estimates are derived from calculating the number of births, deaths and migration in the U.S. For the first time, international migration surpassed natural increases that come from births outnumbering deaths. There was a net increase of nearly 245,000 residents from international migration but only around 148,000 from natural increase.

Between 2020 and 2021, 33 states saw population increases and 17 states and the District of Columbia lost population.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640103383425.png" alt="U.S. Census Bureau" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Census Bureau</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —U.S. population growth dipped to its lowest rate since the nation’s founding during the first year of the pandemic as the coronavirus curtailed immigration, delayed pregnancies and killed hundreds of thousands of U.S. residents, <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2021-population-estimates.html?linkId=100000097331496">according to figures released Tuesday.</a>The United States grew by only 0.1%, with only an additional 392,665 added to the U.S. population, from July 2020 to July 2021, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.The U.S. has been experiencing slow population growth for years but the pandemic exacerbated that trend. This past year was the first time since 1937 that the nation’s population grew by less than 1 million people.“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” said Kristie Wilder, a Census Bureau demographer. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in an historically slow pace of growth.”The population estimates are derived from calculating the number of births, deaths and migration in the U.S. For the first time, international migration surpassed natural increases that come from births outnumbering deaths. There was a net increase of nearly 245,000 residents from international migration but only around 148,000 from natural increase.Between 2020 and 2021, 33 states saw population increases and 17 states and the District of Columbia lost population.

Pandemic drives U.S. population growth to record low

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Joe Biden had close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Monday night that the staff member tested positive earlier in the day. Psaki says the staff member spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday during a trip from Orange, South Carolina, to Philadelphia.

Psaki says the staff member is fully vaccinated and boosted and tested negative before boarding Air Force One. She says the staffer began experiencing symptoms Sunday night.

Psaki says the 79-year-old Biden is tested regularly for the virus and has had two negative tests since Sunday. She says he will be tested again Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638195734763.png" alt="The 79-year-old Biden is tested regularly for the virus and has had two negative tests since Sunday. He will be tested again Wednesday, according to press secretary Jen Psaki-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>The 79-year-old Biden is tested regularly for the virus and has had two negative tests since Sunday. He will be tested again Wednesday, according to press secretary Jen Psaki-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — The White House says President Joe Biden had close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.Press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Monday night that the staff member tested positive earlier in the day. Psaki says the staff member spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday during a trip from Orange, South Carolina, to Philadelphia.Psaki says the staff member is fully vaccinated and boosted and tested negative before boarding Air Force One. She says the staffer began experiencing symptoms Sunday night.Psaki says the 79-year-old Biden is tested regularly for the virus and has had two negative tests since Sunday. She says he will be tested again Wednesday.

White House: Biden near staffer who tested positive for COVID

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a 61-year-0ld Wichita police officer for alleged stalking.

According to a media release, the Wichita Police Department recently learned that Officer Joseph Spicuglia was possibly involved in a domestic violence incident with a woman he knows. 

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated at the request of the Wichita Police Department in order to avoid conflicts of interest. As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested Spicuglia on a requested charge of stalking.&nbsp;The sheriff's office&nbsp; is still actively investigating the case, according to the release. 

Spicuglia has been employed with WPD for 25 years and is no longer an active member of the Wichita Police Department.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640086482613.png" alt="Spicuglia—Sedgwick County booking photo" />
 <figcaption>Spicuglia—Sedgwick County booking photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a 61-year-0ld Wichita police officer for alleged stalking.According to a media release, the Wichita Police Department recently learned that Officer Joseph Spicuglia was possibly involved in a domestic violence incident with a woman he knows. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated at the request of the Wichita Police Department in order to avoid conflicts of interest. As a result of the investigation, deputies arrested Spicuglia on a requested charge of stalking.&nbsp;The sheriff's office&nbsp; is still actively investigating the case, according to the release. Spicuglia has been employed with WPD for 25 years and is no longer an active member of the Wichita Police Department.&nbsp; He is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

25-year-veteran police officer arrested for alleged stalking

WASHINGTON (AP) — As coronavirus cases surge in the days before Christmas, President Joe Biden plans to increase support for hospitals, improve access to COVID-19 testing through hundreds of millions of rapid at-home tests and expand the availability of vaccines that can reduce the risks from the omicron variant.

The world is confronting the prospect of a second straight holiday season with COVID-19 as families and friends begin to gather while the variant quickly spreads. Scientists don’t yet know whether omicron causes more serious disease, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. A senior administration official, insisting on anonymity, provided details on the proposals Biden will announce in his speech Tuesday afternoon.

The administration is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops in medical professions to hospitals as well as direct federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. There are also plans to send out additional ventilators and equipment from the national stockpile besides expanding hospital capacity to handle infected patients.

The government will purchase 500 million rapid at-home tests to be delivered for free to the homes of Americans who request them. It will also establish new testing sites and use the Defense Production Act to help manufacture more tests. There will also be pop-up vaccination sites, hundreds of new people to administer the vaccines and new rules that make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines.

n a preview of Biden’s speech, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday’s press briefing that the Democratic president doesn’t plan to impose any lockdowns and will instead be encouraging people to get inoculated — and, if they’re eligible, to get their booster shot.

“This is not a speech about locking the country down. This is a speech about the benefits of being vaccinated,” Psaki told reporters.

Biden’s top medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said over the weekend that Biden will issue “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans.

Biden has found himself in the delicate position of both alerting the country to the dangers posed by omicron and reassuring Americans that the vaccines will protect them. White House officials are looking to ease the nation back toward accepting the reality of an endemic virus with far lower stakes for the vaccinated. This has meant setting a difficult balance as cases rise and as deaths and serious illness among the unvaccinated dominate headlines.

Underscoring how widespread the virus is, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday on a trip from Orange, South Carolina, to Philadelphia. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive earlier Monday, Psaki said.

There are 40 million eligible but unvaccinated American adults. Efforts to increase vaccination rates have struggled to overcome a series of political, social and cultural divides. Psaki said the president plans to appeal to survival instincts.

“Our health experts assess that you are 14 times more likely to die of COVID if you have not been vaccinated versus vaccinated,” she said Monday.

Scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It has already become the dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for nearly three-quarters of new infections last week.

Early studies suggest that the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing an omicron infection but that even without the extra dose, vaccination should still largely protect people from serious sickness or death.

In New York City, nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available; there’s no clear picture of how many people got the virus during the city’s first surge in the spring of 2020.

The latest outbreak reflects the global challenges of stopping the coronavirus pandemic.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said officials have decided against imposing further restrictions, at least for now.

“We will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public,” Johnson said Monday. “The arguments either way are very, very finely balanced.”

The Dutch government began a tough nationwide lockdown on Sunday to rein in sharply rising infections, but many European leaders have opted for something less.

France and Germany have barred most British travelers from entering, and the government in Paris has banned public concerts and fireworks displays at New Year’s celebrations. Ireland imposed an 8 p.m. curfew on pubs and bars and limited attendance at indoor and outdoor events, while Greece will have 10,000 police officers on duty over the holidays to carry out COVID-19 pass checks.

In Spain, the national average of new cases is double what it was a year ago. But authorities in the country with one of Europe’s highest vaccination rates are betting primarily on mandatory mask-wearing indoors and the rollout of booster shots, with no further restrictions planned.

Neighboring Portugal is telling most nonessential workers to work from home for a week in January, but the country has no other new measures in the pipeline.

Stock markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. fell on Monday with the expectation that the infections could weigh on global economic growth and worsen global supply chain challenges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1638205448015.png" alt="The government will purchase 500 million rapid at-home tests to be delivered for free to the homes of Americans who request them-White House photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>The government will purchase 500 million rapid at-home tests to be delivered for free to the homes of Americans who request them-White House photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As coronavirus cases surge in the days before Christmas, President Joe Biden plans to increase support for hospitals, improve access to COVID-19 testing through hundreds of millions of rapid at-home tests and expand the availability of vaccines that can reduce the risks from the omicron variant.The world is confronting the prospect of a second straight holiday season with COVID-19 as families and friends begin to gather while the variant quickly spreads. Scientists don’t yet know whether omicron causes more serious disease, but they do know that vaccination should offer strong protections against severe illness and death. A senior administration official, insisting on anonymity, provided details on the proposals Biden will announce in his speech Tuesday afternoon.The administration is prepared to deploy an additional 1,000 troops in medical professions to hospitals as well as direct federal medical personnel to Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont. There are also plans to send out additional ventilators and equipment from the national stockpile besides expanding hospital capacity to handle infected patients.The government will purchase 500 million rapid at-home tests to be delivered for free to the homes of Americans who request them. It will also establish new testing sites and use the Defense Production Act to help manufacture more tests. There will also be pop-up vaccination sites, hundreds of new people to administer the vaccines and new rules that make it easier for pharmacists to work across state lines.n a preview of Biden’s speech, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at Monday’s press briefing that the Democratic president doesn’t plan to impose any lockdowns and will instead be encouraging people to get inoculated — and, if they’re eligible, to get their booster shot.“This is not a speech about locking the country down. This is a speech about the benefits of being vaccinated,” Psaki told reporters.Biden’s top medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said over the weekend that Biden will issue “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans.Biden has found himself in the delicate position of both alerting the country to the dangers posed by omicron and reassuring Americans that the vaccines will protect them. White House officials are looking to ease the nation back toward accepting the reality of an endemic virus with far lower stakes for the vaccinated. This has meant setting a difficult balance as cases rise and as deaths and serious illness among the unvaccinated dominate headlines.Underscoring how widespread the virus is, the White House said late Monday that Biden had been in close contact with a staff member who later tested positive for COVID-19. The staffer spent about 30 minutes around the president on Air Force One on Friday on a trip from Orange, South Carolina, to Philadelphia. The staffer, who was fully vaccinated and boosted, tested positive earlier Monday, Psaki said.Psaki said Biden has tested negative twice since Sunday and will test again on Wednesday. Citing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Psaki said Biden didn’t need to quarantine and would continue with his regular schedule.There are 40 million eligible but unvaccinated American adults. Efforts to increase vaccination rates have struggled to overcome a series of political, social and cultural divides. Psaki said the president plans to appeal to survival instincts.“Our health experts assess that you are 14 times more likely to die of COVID if you have not been vaccinated versus vaccinated,” she said Monday.Scientists say omicron spreads even easier than other coronavirus strains, including delta. It has already become the dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for nearly three-quarters of new infections last week.Early studies suggest that the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing an omicron infection but that even without the extra dose, vaccination should still largely protect people from serious sickness or death.In New York City, nearly 42,600 people citywide tested positive from Wednesday through Saturday — compared with fewer than 35,800 in the entire month of November. The city has never had so many people test positive in such a short period of time since testing became widely available; there’s no clear picture of how many people got the virus during the city’s first surge in the spring of 2020.The latest outbreak reflects the global challenges of stopping the coronavirus pandemic.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said officials have decided against imposing further restrictions, at least for now.“We will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public,” Johnson said Monday. “The arguments either way are very, very finely balanced.”The Dutch government began a tough nationwide lockdown on Sunday to rein in sharply rising infections, but many European leaders have opted for something less.France and Germany have barred most British travelers from entering, and the government in Paris has banned public concerts and fireworks displays at New Year’s celebrations. Ireland imposed an 8 p.m. curfew on pubs and bars and limited attendance at indoor and outdoor events, while Greece will have 10,000 police officers on duty over the holidays to carry out COVID-19 pass checks.In Spain, the national average of new cases is double what it was a year ago. But authorities in the country with one of Europe’s highest vaccination rates are betting primarily on mandatory mask-wearing indoors and the rollout of booster shots, with no further restrictions planned.Neighboring Portugal is telling most nonessential workers to work from home for a week in January, but the country has no other new measures in the pipeline.Stock markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. fell on Monday with the expectation that the infections could weigh on global economic growth and worsen global supply chain challenges.

Merry Christmas: Biden to offer 500M at-home COVID-19 tests

SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged ID theft in Sumner County.

On Monday, police reported they learned of two gas pump skimming devices found at a convenience store in Wellington, according to a media release.

The skimming device is used to capture the magnetic stripe containing a customers personal information (name and credit card number)

Police are working to determine the suspects involved and urged citizens to check their credit statement to look for any unauthorized charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575910168611.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged ID theft in Sumner County.On Monday, police reported they learned of two gas pump skimming devices found at a convenience store in Wellington, according to a media release.The skimming device is used to capture the magnetic stripe containing a customers personal information (name and credit card number)Police are working to determine the suspects involved and urged citizens to check their credit statement to look for any unauthorized charges.

Police investigating another skimmer found on gas pump in Kansas

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Rural Kansas hospitals are struggling to transfer patients as COVID-19 numbers surge, with some patients left stranded in emergency rooms for a week while they wait for a bed.

Space also was in short supply last winter and again over the summer when the delta variant first hit the state. The situation improved slightly this fall, but now is worsening again, according to Motient, a company contracted by Kansas to help manage transfers.

It isn’t just rural hospitals looking for beds. Overwhelmed hospitals as far away as Minnesota and Michigan have been looking for beds in larger Kansas hospitals. Often there simply isn’t room.

Dr. Richard Watson, founder of Motient, said Friday that the long-distance transfers and long waits for beds are becoming commonplace as the pandemic ends its second year, adding, “It’s already as crazy as it can be.”

“When you are talking about moving people from Minnesota to Kansas City for treatment. It’s like Mayo Clinic in reverse,” he said.

Kansas averaged 41 new COVID-19 hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Monday, according to state health department data, as total confirmed and probable cases for the pandemic topped 500,000.

Gov. Laura Kelly said she has no plans to pursue the same aggressive strategy of closing schools and businesses statewide that she did in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature ended a state of emergency in June and curbed the power of the Democratic governor and even local officials to impose restrictions.

“We have the tools to stop the spread,” Kelly told The Associated Press Monday. “People really do need to not only get fully vaccinated, they need to get the booster shot.”

Jesse Thomas, also of Motient, said Monday that it takes an average of eight and a half hours from the time a smaller hospital starts looking for a bed in a larger hospital to when an ambulance or air transportation arrives, up from about five hours this summer.

“It used to be rare, and now it’s not rare,” he said of the long waits.

Forty patients were on the board waiting to be transferred on Friday. Some have been languishing in emergency departments while they await transfers for days, sometimes more than a week, Watson said.

Watson said larger hospitals don’t want COVID-19 patients unless they are really sick, adding that some are only accepting COVID-19 transfers if they need to be on a ventilator.

“They know that their beds are at a premium and they have to hold them for the people who need them,” Watson said, adding that COVID-19 patients who just need oxygen wind up stuck. He said the shortage of beds and staff to care for patients also has stranded patients with other health issues, such as heart attacks.

He said staffing shortages in nursing homes also contribute to the bed shortage because it means there is nowhere to send patients who are improving but still need extra care.

“You can’t put somebody in that bed if they can’t clean it out,” he said.

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Rural Kansas hospitals are struggling to transfer patients as COVID-19 numbers surge, with some patients left stranded in emergency rooms for a week while they wait for a bed.Space also was in short supply last winter and again over the summer when the delta variant first hit the state. The situation improved slightly this fall, but now is worsening again, according to Motient, a company contracted by Kansas to help manage transfers.It isn’t just rural hospitals looking for beds. Overwhelmed hospitals as far away as Minnesota and Michigan have been looking for beds in larger Kansas hospitals. Often there simply isn’t room.Dr. Richard Watson, founder of Motient, said Friday that the long-distance transfers and long waits for beds are becoming commonplace as the pandemic ends its second year, adding, “It’s already as crazy as it can be.”“When you are talking about moving people from Minnesota to Kansas City for treatment. It’s like Mayo Clinic in reverse,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1640023450389.png" alt="Monday December 20, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday December 20, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas averaged 41 new COVID-19 hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Monday, according to state health department data, as total confirmed and probable cases for the pandemic topped 500,000.Gov. Laura Kelly said she has no plans to pursue the same aggressive strategy of closing schools and businesses statewide that she did in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature ended a state of emergency in June and curbed the power of the Democratic governor and even local officials to impose restrictions.“We have the tools to stop the spread,” Kelly told The Associated Press Monday. “People really do need to not only get fully vaccinated, they need to get the booster shot.”Jesse Thomas, also of Motient, said Monday that it takes an average of eight and a half hours from the time a smaller hospital starts looking for a bed in a larger hospital to when an ambulance or air transportation arrives, up from about five hours this summer.“It used to be rare, and now it’s not rare,” he said of the long waits.Forty patients were on the board waiting to be transferred on Friday. Some have been languishing in emergency departments while they await transfers for days, sometimes more than a week, Watson said.Watson said larger hospitals don’t want COVID-19 patients unless they are really sick, adding that some are only accepting COVID-19 transfers if they need to be on a ventilator.“They know that their beds are at a premium and they have to hold them for the people who need them,” Watson said, adding that COVID-19 patients who just need oxygen wind up stuck. He said the shortage of beds and staff to care for patients also has stranded patients with other health issues, such as heart attacks.He said staffing shortages in nursing homes also contribute to the bed shortage because it means there is nowhere to send patients who are improving but still need extra care.“You can’t put somebody in that bed if they can’t clean it out,” he said.Dr. Jackie Hyland, the chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System’s St. Francis campus in Topeka, complained about the problems nursing home shortages were causing on a recent call with Kansas and Missouri hospital officials.“It causes a backup all the way through to our emergency room and holding emergency room patients there, preventing them from getting admitted to a hospital bed,” Hyland said.Watson said he has never seen a problem like this on such a broad scale.“You may have a patient here or there that’s having a difficulty and the hospital may be in a tight spot, but to have the whole system with people just locked in place for days at a level of care they really need to move out of, that’s a different world for us,” he said.Watson said he anticipated the capacity issues would only grow worse over the holidays.“People expect there to be a different story,” Watson said. “But you know, here we got it: It’s unvaccinated people. Omicron moves through. Nobody’s paying attention. They all want it to go away for Christmas. It’s not going away.”A handful of omicron cases have been detected in the state in recent days. The latest two were announced Monday in Wyandotte County in the Kansas City area.___