By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
GREAT BEND — A major increase in coronavirus cases in the past several weeks has put an end to contract tracing by KDHE, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman told the Barton County Board of Health this week what people should do now if they are diagnosed with the virus.
“The responsibility is going to be on the person themselves or on the parent of a minor to alert people they’ve been in contact with,” Winkelman reported. “A close contact definition is if you’ve been within six feet for more than 15 minutes cumulated time over a 24-hour period.”
State health officials plan to continue COVID-19 investigations to determine how the virus was transmitted and by whom, but their ability to do that is being limited by the large number of cases statewide.
“During this really high surge, they are looking at prioritizing those under 18 and those above 65,” Winkelman said. “The cases that are between that 18 and 65 range, the plan is for them [KDHE] to send a text message out saying that you have been reported as positive. If you need a letter of isolation recommendation for your job or for any situation, then they will provide that.”
Winkelman added that her department is still offering COVID testing each working day from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the department's offices at 1300 Kansas Avenue in Great Bend. If you would like to get tested, you need to call the Health Department in advance to schedule the test. The Health Department will fill out the required testing forms. Vaccines are also available there.