By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
On Friday, the Ellis County Health Department reported a jump of 186 new COVID-19 cases since Monday.
This week, Hays Mayor Shaun Musil lost a family friend to coronavirus who had no underlying medical conditions.
Musil continues to urge residents to wear face masks, especially as the holiday season begins and families gather together.
"I'm so disappointed in the numbers I've seen this week," Musil said at Thursday's city commission meeting.
"I've seen a video of a bar. I won't name it because it’s not just bars, it’s everywhere. Dancing like crazy. No masks. ... I hear people say it doesn't matter. It does matter."
Musil, owner of the Paisley Pear Wine Bar, Market and Bistro, noted sales at most Hays businesses are down because of the coronavirus.
"All of us businesses are hurting right now."
Musil is worried about the possibility of a large COVID outbreak after Thanksgiving.
"Just think when people go home to Thanksgiving to all these small towns around here. Students from Fort Hays State University, they may not get sick but they take it Grandma or Mom and Dad.
"Please, people, think about other people and not just yourself.”
The Hays City Commission voted Oct. 2 to extend the facemask ordinance until the seven-day new case average was five or fewer for 14 consecutive days.
The per-day average in Ellis County has not dropped to that level since the metric began to be reported.
On Wednesday, the seven-day average of percent of positive tests spiked to 40.3 percent.
There have been 18 COVID-related deaths so far in Ellis County.