Ellis County given a 'D' grade for travel
By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Even as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise in Kansas in the last week, the most recent data from Unacast shows that in many northwest Kansas counties travel has only been slightly decreased or remained generally flat.
In Gove County — on the day before the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in northwest Kansas — travel was recorded in the county to be nearly 45 percent higher than pre-pandemic numbers.
Experts almost unanimously agree the only way to stop the spread of the virus is to limit person to person contact and avoid all unnecessary travel.
On Thursday Unacast gave only six counties in northwest Kansas a passing grade; Sheridan, Thomas, Rooks, Osborne, Greely and Logan Counties based on ratings that were formulated on March 31.
All six received a "C" grade.
Ellis, Ness, Scott, Wichita, Phillips, Barton, Russell and Decatur counties received a "D" grade.
The remainder were given an "F."
During the last week, travel was reported to be even with pre-pandemic on several days in Trego, Gove, Ness, Norton, Graham and Sherman counties.
The new rating system from Unacast takes into account new information learned about the spread of the coronavirus and incorporates the reduction in non-essential visitation.