By KIRBY ROSS
Phillips County Review
There is currently no good news in what is a worsening major health crisis in Norton County, where COVID is close to having infected 10 percent of the population in less than two weeks and has developed into being the worst local outbreak in the entire United States.
While information is still lacking, the situation at the Andbe Home Long Term Care Facility is becoming a bit less murky, with the facility making national news, including segments on CBS, NBC and CNN.
Every single resident at Andbe — 62 of them — has caught the virus, with 10 of them dying.
In addition, 12 staff members and other individuals associated with Andbe have caught the dangerous disease.
Just east of the city of Norton at Norton Correctional Facility, cases have reached a stage where the situation is the worst mass health crisis the Kansas prison system has faced in any of its facilities.
Cases there jumped from 133 on Monday to above 230 just 24 hours later — almost one-third of all inmates there. In addition, at least a dozen NCF staffers have been infected.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported a total of 385 cases of COVID-19 in Norton County since reporting began — the cast majority a result of the recent spike in cases.
The Norton County Health Department reported 464 total cases.
Updates will be provided as information becomes available.