Before I get to all the details I know you're looking for in order to begin our trek back to a "new normal", I want to say a quick thanks to KVC for featuring me in their Legislator Spotlight in their March enewsletter.
We have all been concerned by the COVID clusters at our regional meat packing plants, the families of all who work there, and the surrounding communities at increased risk. The Kansas Department of Health & Environment continues to closely monitor the virus trends here and is working closely with the plants to slow the spread.
Thursday Press Conference
While some states are opening their beaches, Kansas is readying to open our businesses. Thursday evening, Governor Laura Kelly addressed the state to detail the plan to begin phasing out of this crisis. From a practical perspective, there are three key points:
- The stay-at-home order will expire at 11:59 am on Sunday, May 3.
- The disaster declaration will be extended to allow the state to continue to receive federal assistance.
- A 6-week 4-phase process will begin to open parts of our economy back to a post-COVID “new normal”. The process is not set in stone and our virus trends will be closely monitored to see if tweaks in the plan are required.
During the press conference, Governor Kelly noted the CDC recently doubled the list of symptoms of the disease. Furthermore, researchers estimate 20-50% of infected people have no symptoms but can still spread the virus.
- This echoes what we are seeing at the Lansing Prison, where 75% of confirmed cases were asymptomatic.
Ad Astra: A Plan for Reopening KANSAS
Pandemic Polling
While we are conducting a “soft rollout” of reopening, what will happen in August and November is a complete unknown. Some counties are sending applications to all voters to request a ballot mailed to their house. However, all counties will not do this, so in order to ensure your voice is heard in this year’s elections, click here to request a ballot be mailed to your home for the August and November elections.
Childcare Assistance
Check out the Kansas Hero Relief Program for information on funds to help parents with essential jobs pay for childcare during this time. Funds are also available for daycare providers as they work to sterilize their facilities.
COVID-19 in Kansas: Update
Finally, the state aggregated all the information from across state departments related to COVID-19 into one handy website: COVID.ks.gov
Please contact me if I can be of service to you.
Stay home and stay safe,
Rep. Leonard Mastroni, R-La Crosse
House District 117