During this pandemic health emergency and the re-opening of schools in August 2020, USD 475 will take proactive steps to protect the educational environment and workplace to make certain all essential educational services are continuously provided, and that students and employees are safe on a daily basis. The following practices will be adhered to as preparations are made for re-opening schools&nbsp; and starting the 2020-2021 school year:

*Provide a clean school environment to prevent the spread of infection in the school buildings, including the regular cleaning of objects and areas that are frequently used, such as bathrooms, break rooms, conference rooms, door handles and railings. A health department recommended cleaning solution or disinfecting wipes will be provided to employees and students to clean personal workspaces and equipment.

*Reducing the transmission of infectious disease in the school environment will take the cooperation of everyone and will require frequent hand washing with warm, soapy water; the requirement of wearing a face mask; covering mouths when sneezing or coughing; and discarding used tissues. These measures will require all staff to be diligent in the cleaning of classroom surface areas to mitigate possible transmissions.

*Normal attendance will remain in place. Families that believe their students may face challenges attending school should contact the school to consider the remote learning option (information on the remote learning opportunity will be provided July 1st.

*During an infectious disease outbreak, it is critical that students and employees do not report to school while they are ill and/or experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals self-quarantine for a minimum of fourteen days.

In addition, the following Building Safety Measures are being considered for the start of the 2020-2021 school year:

Parents and Public in buildings – There will be extremely limited opportunities for parents and public in our schools within reason. We will not hold opportunities in the first semester which bring large groups of parents and public into our schools. Individual meetings that cannot be conducted virtually may be held following appropriate safety guidelines. Schools will develop procedures for dropping off supplies and picking up students during the school day.

Orientations and Back to School Open House – These will be conducted virtually.

Entry into the buildings – Schools will utilize as many entrances as possible for students to use during arrival and dismissal which are feasible and safe. Notice will be given to parents to drop students off as close to breakfast and school starting times as possible to avoid the gathering of students waiting for school to begin.

Morning meeting structures – Morning meeting sessions will be delivered to classrooms virtually.

Breakfast procedures – Eliminate as many students in the breakfast room as possible. Consider alternative locations such as classrooms for consuming breakfast.

Lunchroom procedures – Eliminate as many students in the lunchroom as possible. For some this may be 100% eating in classrooms. Others may provide a 50/50 split for social distancing. Food Service is considering all prepackaged food items.

Community Student Supplies – There will be no use of community student supplies (the bins on desks students share). Each student will use his/her own individual supplies.

Recess procedures and equipment – Limit the number of students on the equipment as much as possible. More information on disinfecting procedures to come.

Assemblies and Fundraisers – No large student gatherings.

After school academic programs – Individual or small group tutoring allowed.

Field trips and Award ceremonies – These will not occur.

Restroom and Hall Procedures – USD 475 administrators are still working through the details.

&nbsp;Geary County USD 475 will continue to strive to provide you with honest and transparent information as, together, we face today’s challenges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593626978381.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>During this pandemic health emergency and the re-opening of schools in August 2020, USD 475 will take proactive steps to protect the educational environment and workplace to make certain all essential educational services are continuously provided, and that students and employees are safe on a daily basis. The following practices will be adhered to as preparations are made for re-opening schools&nbsp; and starting the 2020-2021 school year:*Provide a clean school environment to prevent the spread of infection in the school buildings, including the regular cleaning of objects and areas that are frequently used, such as bathrooms, break rooms, conference rooms, door handles and railings. A health department recommended cleaning solution or disinfecting wipes will be provided to employees and students to clean personal workspaces and equipment.*Reducing the transmission of infectious disease in the school environment will take the cooperation of everyone and will require frequent hand washing with warm, soapy water; the requirement of wearing a face mask; covering mouths when sneezing or coughing; and discarding used tissues. These measures will require all staff to be diligent in the cleaning of classroom surface areas to mitigate possible transmissions.*Normal attendance will remain in place. Families that believe their students may face challenges attending school should contact the school to consider the remote learning option (information on the remote learning opportunity will be provided July 1st.*During an infectious disease outbreak, it is critical that students and employees do not report to school while they are ill and/or experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that individuals self-quarantine for a minimum of fourteen days.In addition, the following Building Safety Measures are being considered for the start of the 2020-2021 school year:Parents and Public in buildings – There will be extremely limited opportunities for parents and public in our schools within reason. We will not hold opportunities in the first semester which bring large groups of parents and public into our schools. Individual meetings that cannot be conducted virtually may be held following appropriate safety guidelines. Schools will develop procedures for dropping off supplies and picking up students during the school day.Orientations and Back to School Open House – These will be conducted virtually.Entry into the buildings – Schools will utilize as many entrances as possible for students to use during arrival and dismissal which are feasible and safe. Notice will be given to parents to drop students off as close to breakfast and school starting times as possible to avoid the gathering of students waiting for school to begin.Morning meeting structures – Morning meeting sessions will be delivered to classrooms virtually.Breakfast procedures – Eliminate as many students in the breakfast room as possible. Consider alternative locations such as classrooms for consuming breakfast.Lunchroom procedures – Eliminate as many students in the lunchroom as possible. For some this may be 100% eating in classrooms. Others may provide a 50/50 split for social distancing. Food Service is considering all prepackaged food items.Community Student Supplies – There will be no use of community student supplies (the bins on desks students share). Each student will use his/her own individual supplies.Recess procedures and equipment – Limit the number of students on the equipment as much as possible. More information on disinfecting procedures to come.Assemblies and Fundraisers – No large student gatherings.After school academic programs – Individual or small group tutoring allowed.Field trips and Award ceremonies – These will not occur.Restroom and Hall Procedures – USD 475 administrators are still working through the details.&nbsp;Geary County USD 475 will continue to strive to provide you with honest and transparent information as, together, we face today’s challenges.

USD 475 outlines school and safety procedures for the 2020-2021 school year

The Junction City Brigade had scheduled an event called Honoring Our Community Heroes Friday night ( July 3 ) at Rathert Field. Officials with the team have confirmed that the event is being postponed, possibly to a late July or early August time frame.

The event was scheduled to also serve as a fundraiser for the Brigade and include a fireworks display, live band performance, food and beverages.

Cecil Aska, Brigade General Manager, explained the postponement was due to COVID-19. "Just for concerns about the increase in the number of coronavirus cases. Just trying to do what we think is in the best interest of the public and the safety of everyone."

The Brigade did not field a team this season due to concerns about COVID-19 but do plan to return with a team in 2021.

The Junction City Brigade had scheduled an event called Honoring Our Community Heroes Friday night ( July 3 ) at Rathert Field. Officials with the team have confirmed that the event is being postponed, possibly to a late July or early August time frame.The event was scheduled to also serve as a fundraiser for the Brigade and include a fireworks display, live band performance, food and beverages.Cecil Aska, Brigade General Manager, explained the postponement was due to COVID-19. "Just for concerns about the increase in the number of coronavirus cases. Just trying to do what we think is in the best interest of the public and the safety of everyone."The Brigade did not field a team this season due to concerns about COVID-19 but do plan to return with a team in 2021.

Honoring Our Community Heroes event at Rathert Field will be postponed

Geary County Health Department is reporting additional positive COVID Cases. Number 48 is a 23 year old man, number 49 is a 27 year old woman and number 50 is a 54 year old man.  These people are in self quarantine at home.

The Health Department is still working on contact tracing on the subjects.

Continue to do social distancing, use face masks or coverings, and do frequent washing of your hands with soap and water.

Geary County Health Department is reporting additional positive COVID Cases. Number 48 is a 23 year old man, number 49 is a 27 year old woman and number 50 is a 54 year old man. These people are in self quarantine at home.The Health Department is still working on contact tracing on the subjects.Continue to do social distancing, use face masks or coverings, and do frequent washing of your hands with soap and water.This brings Geary County to:50 cases18 active31 recovered1 death0 Hospitalized

Health officials provided the daily COVID-19 report

Due to recent increases in COVID-19 cases in the community, including at least two among Geary Community Hospital staff - the hospital and the Geary County Health Department have recommended the postponement of the Geary Community Farmers Market for two weeks. There will not be any farmers market on July 2 or July 9.

Some of the farmers who participate can accomodate direct orders from customers. Check the vendor list on&nbsp;https://www.livewellgearycounty.org/farmers-market and keep following the Geary Community Farmers Market on Facebook for more information and updates.

Due to recent increases in COVID-19 cases in the community, including at least two among Geary Community Hospital staff - the hospital and the Geary County Health Department have recommended the postponement of the Geary Community Farmers Market for two weeks. There will not be any farmers market on July 2 or July 9.Some of the farmers who participate can accomodate direct orders from customers. Check the vendor list on&nbsp;https://www.livewellgearycounty.org/farmers-market and keep following the Geary Community Farmers Market on Facebook for more information and updates.

Geary Community Farmers Market postponed until July 16

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball’s minor leagues canceled their seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the head of their governing body said more than half the 160 teams were in danger of failing without government assistance or private equity injections. 

The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues made the long-expected announcement. Pat O'Conner, the president of the governing body, O’Conner estimated 85-90% of revenue was related to ticket money, concessions, parking and ballpark advertising. 

The minors drew 41.5 million fans last year for 176 teams in 15 leagues.

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball’s minor leagues canceled their seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the head of their governing body said more than half the 160 teams were in danger of failing without government assistance or private equity injections. The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues made the long-expected announcement. Pat O'Conner, the president of the governing body, O’Conner estimated 85-90% of revenue was related to ticket money, concessions, parking and ballpark advertising. The minors drew 41.5 million fans last year for 176 teams in 15 leagues.

Minor League baseball seasons are canceled

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is providing faculty more flexibility if they don’t feel comfortable teaching in-person classes in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer said Monday that decisions on courses, how they would be taught and teaching assignments “should be the purview of the department or program,” KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-30/ku-reverses-course-and-gives-faculty-choice-of-whether-to-teach-in-person-classes-in-the-fall" target="_blank">reports.</a>

The move came after faculty had pushed back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dadb98240b27a4922043fe790c5da99e">last week</a>&nbsp;after they were told to return to campus beginning Aug. 24, unless they could invoke an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than 50 department leaders signed a letter to Bichelmeyer raising concerns.

Instead of filing for an accommodation under the ADA, instructors will simply be asked to indicate their teaching preferences and to note the safety level they require in order to teach in person.

Bichelmeyer said that the teachers’ concerns were legitimate and understandable, “and this was just a case where trying to solve a problem with a precedent using the ADA doesn’t work in an unprecedented situation.”

In a letter to faculty and staff Tuesday, Bichelmeyer said that it remained the university’s goal to have as many in-person and hybrid classes as possible in the fall

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas is providing faculty more flexibility if they don’t feel comfortable teaching in-person classes in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer said Monday that decisions on courses, how they would be taught and teaching assignments “should be the purview of the department or program,” KCUR&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-06-30/ku-reverses-course-and-gives-faculty-choice-of-whether-to-teach-in-person-classes-in-the-fall" target="_blank">reports.</a>The move came after faculty had pushed back&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/dadb98240b27a4922043fe790c5da99e">last week</a>&nbsp;after they were told to return to campus beginning Aug. 24, unless they could invoke an exemption under the Americans with Disabilities Act. More than 50 department leaders signed a letter to Bichelmeyer raising concerns.Instead of filing for an accommodation under the ADA, instructors will simply be asked to indicate their teaching preferences and to note the safety level they require in order to teach in person.Bichelmeyer said that the teachers’ concerns were legitimate and understandable, “and this was just a case where trying to solve a problem with a precedent using the ADA doesn’t work in an unprecedented situation.”In a letter to faculty and staff Tuesday, Bichelmeyer said that it remained the university’s goal to have as many in-person and hybrid classes as possible in the fall

University of Kansas backs away from in-person requirement

Dr. Anwar Khoury has tested positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;

In a news release Flint Hills OBGYN, P.A. announced that Khoury is asymptomatic and doing well. He is now on quarantine at his home. All of the Flint Hills OBGYN staff including Terrah Stroda, CNM, APRN subsequently tested negative.&nbsp; They will continue to provide a full scope of Obstetrics and Gynecology care, and Dr. Rick Johnson will be on call until Khoury's return.

Flint Hills OBGYN said they are in contact with all of their patients that may have been in contact Khoury since June 24th. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 call the Geary Community Hospital COVID hotline at ( 785) 210-4214 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

For all other questions or medical concerns contact the Flint Hills OBGYN office at ( 785 ) 223-5555 during office hours. After hours contact ( 785 ) 238-4131.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593549208768.jpeg" alt="Dr. Anwar Khoury" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anwar Khoury</figcaption>
 </figure>Dr. Anwar Khoury has tested positive for COVID-19.&nbsp;In a news release Flint Hills OBGYN, P.A. announced that Khoury is asymptomatic and doing well. He is now on quarantine at his home. All of the Flint Hills OBGYN staff including Terrah Stroda, CNM, APRN subsequently tested negative.&nbsp; They will continue to provide a full scope of Obstetrics and Gynecology care, and Dr. Rick Johnson will be on call until Khoury's return.Flint Hills OBGYN said they are in contact with all of their patients that may have been in contact Khoury since June 24th. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 call the Geary Community Hospital COVID hotline at ( 785) 210-4214 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.For all other questions or medical concerns contact the Flint Hills OBGYN office at ( 785 ) 223-5555 during office hours. After hours contact ( 785 ) 238-4131.&nbsp;

Dr. Anwar Khoury tests positive for COVID-19

Geary Community Hospital has had two staff members that have tested positive for the coronavirus.

According to a news release from the hospital they are&nbsp;both&nbsp;currently at home in isolation. The employees are residents of Junction City. GCH leaders will continue to collaborate with KDHE and local agencies to identify those who may have had close contact with the individuals while they were potentially infectious. Close contact persons will be monitored for fever, respiratory symptoms, and advised to remain quarantined at home in accordance with CDC guidelines.

“The health and safety of our patients and staff are our top priorities,” said GCH Interim CEO, Frank Corcoran. “We will continue to work with our community partners, staff, and patients in aligning our response efforts and operations with public health guidance while continuing to provide essential access to quality healthcare services.”

A screening hotline for GCH patients staffed by qualified GCH nurses is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.&nbsp; Professional staff will provide guidance for anyone who has symptoms, has traveled outside the US or inside the US to an area with widespread transmission, or may have been in contact with someone confirmed or being tested for COVID-19. The screening hotline number is&nbsp;785-210-4214.

Geary Community Hospital has had two staff members that have tested positive for the coronavirus.According to a news release from the hospital they are&nbsp;both&nbsp;currently at home in isolation. The employees are residents of Junction City. GCH leaders will continue to collaborate with KDHE and local agencies to identify those who may have had close contact with the individuals while they were potentially infectious. Close contact persons will be monitored for fever, respiratory symptoms, and advised to remain quarantined at home in accordance with CDC guidelines.“The health and safety of our patients and staff are our top priorities,” said GCH Interim CEO, Frank Corcoran. “We will continue to work with our community partners, staff, and patients in aligning our response efforts and operations with public health guidance while continuing to provide essential access to quality healthcare services.”A screening hotline for GCH patients staffed by qualified GCH nurses is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.&nbsp; Professional staff will provide guidance for anyone who has symptoms, has traveled outside the US or inside the US to an area with widespread transmission, or may have been in contact with someone confirmed or being tested for COVID-19. The screening hotline number is&nbsp;785-210-4214.

Two Geary Community Hospital employees test positive for COVID-19

Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges is hopeful that people will self-enforce the wearing of face masks in public places. Governor Kelly issued the face mask mandate, effective this Friday.

JC Post contacted Berges for local reaction. "You can't have law enforcement officers out there 24-hours a day doing nothing but trying to enforce that. We hope people will wear a mask when they're out in public and going into buildings, anyplace where they can't maintain the social distancing. "

Berges noted that it will be hard this upcoming holiday weekend with activities occurring both in Junction City and around Milford Lake.&nbsp; "People need to realize that we need to put a stop to this or we could go back to total shutdown. "

The face mask mandate is in response to the spread of COVID-19. Since the pandemic began there have been 47 positive cases involving Geary County residents, but no one is hospitalized at the present time. There has been one fatality.

By Dewey TerrillJC PostGeary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges is hopeful that people will self-enforce the wearing of face masks in public places. Governor Kelly issued the face mask mandate, effective this Friday.JC Post contacted Berges for local reaction. "You can't have law enforcement officers out there 24-hours a day doing nothing but trying to enforce that. We hope people will wear a mask when they're out in public and going into buildings, anyplace where they can't maintain the social distancing. "Berges noted that it will be hard this upcoming holiday weekend with activities occurring both in Junction City and around Milford Lake.&nbsp; "People need to realize that we need to put a stop to this or we could go back to total shutdown. "The face mask mandate is in response to the spread of COVID-19. Since the pandemic began there have been 47 positive cases involving Geary County residents, but no one is hospitalized at the present time. There has been one fatality.

Self enforcement could be important with the face mask mandate 

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly held a press briefing  Monday afternoon to discuss the increase in COVID-19 cases in Kansas.&nbsp; She announced that beginning 12:01 a.m. July 3 every Kansan in a public space will be required to wear a mask. Local officials will be responsible for enforcing the mandate, according to the governor.

“This is a simple, proactive step we can take to keep Kansans at work, get our kids back to school, and keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy,” Governor Kelly said. “Wearing a mask is not only safe – but it is necessary to avoid another shut down.

“Remember – my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” Governor Kelly said. “We’re all in this together.”

Under the order, most Kansans must wear masks in stores and shops, restaurants, and in any situation in which social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside. The EO will be released on Thursday, and will provide specific guidance regarding under what circumstances masks must be worn.

“I know Kansans will have many questions about this order – and we will answer them when it is released later this week,” Governor Kelly said. “But by announcing the requirement today, people in our state will have the appropriate time to acquire the masks.”

The Kansas Attorney General’s Office will work closely with officials in Governor Kelly’s administration to ensure that the order complies with Kansas law.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 905 to a total of 14,443, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has added two states to the quarantine list: South Carolina and Florida and removed Maryland. This is in effect for persons arriving in or returning to Kansas&nbsp; June 29, and moving forward. The state will review/update this list every two weeks.

A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine for 14 days includes visitors and Kansans who have:

Others who need to continue quarantining:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593465508296.png" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly arrived at Monday's press briefing wearing a mask" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly arrived at Monday's press briefing wearing a mask</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly held a press briefing  Monday afternoon to discuss the increase in COVID-19 cases in Kansas.&nbsp; She announced that beginning 12:01 a.m. July 3 every Kansan in a public space will be required to wear a mask. Local officials will be responsible for enforcing the mandate, according to the governor.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F3154697867948519%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“This is a simple, proactive step we can take to keep Kansans at work, get our kids back to school, and keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy,” Governor Kelly said. “Wearing a mask is not only safe – but it is necessary to avoid another shut down.“Remember – my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” Governor Kelly said. “We’re all in this together.”Under the order, most Kansans must wear masks in stores and shops, restaurants, and in any situation in which social distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained, including outside. The EO will be released on Thursday, and will provide specific guidance regarding under what circumstances masks must be worn.“I know Kansans will have many questions about this order – and we will answer them when it is released later this week,” Governor Kelly said. “But by announcing the requirement today, people in our state will have the appropriate time to acquire the masks.”The Kansas Attorney General’s Office will work closely with officials in Governor Kelly’s administration to ensure that the order complies with Kansas law.The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 905 to a total of 14,443, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 270.The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has added two states to the quarantine list: South Carolina and Florida and removed Maryland. This is in effect for persons arriving in or returning to Kansas&nbsp; June 29, and moving forward. The state will review/update this list every two weeks.A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine for 14 days includes visitors and Kansans who have:Traveled to:<ul>
 <li>South Carolina and Florida on or after June 29.</li><li>Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas on or after June 17.</li><li>Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15.</li><li>International travel on or after March 15.</li>
 </ul>Others who need to continue quarantining:<ul>
 <li>Received notification from public health officials (state or local) that you are a close contact of a laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19.</li>
 </ul>

🎥  Gov. Kelly mandates all Kansans wear masks starting July 3

&nbsp;Emergency Management said Monday that the Geary County Health Department is reporting two additional positive COVID-19&nbsp; Cases. 

Number 46 is a 23 year old woman and number 47 is a 41 year old man. Both of those people are apparently contracted the virus outside of Geary County and are in self quarantine at home. The Health Department is still working on contract tracing on the subject.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Emergency Management said Monday that the Geary County Health Department is reporting two additional positive COVID-19&nbsp; Cases. Number 46 is a 23 year old woman and number 47 is a 41 year old man. Both of those people are apparently contracted the virus outside of Geary County and are in self quarantine at home. The Health Department is still working on contract tracing on the subject.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two positive COVID-19 cases reported on Monday

USD 475 has announced that the parent meeting that was scheduled to take place at Grandview Elementary School Tuesday has been cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19 within the community.

USD 475 has announced that the parent meeting that was scheduled to take place at Grandview Elementary School Tuesday has been cancelled due to the spread of COVID-19 within the community.

Parent meeting at Grandview Elementary School has been canceled

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 905 to a total of 14,443, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 905 to a total of 14,443, the state health department reported Monday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 270<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593450200744.png" alt="Monday June 29, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday June 29, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) deployed a Mobile Testing Unit to assist communities with COVID-19 testing for underserved populations, according to a media release from Governor Laura Kelly's office.

“In order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and safely reopen Kansas, our public health experts must be able to track the scale and scope of this virus,” Governor Kelly said. “Working with local communities and public health officials, this mobile unit helps us reach the vulnerable populations that are experiencing barriers to testing access.”

KDHE is working with local health departments and other health organizations to identify locations throughout Kansas which would benefit from this service. The Mobile Testing Unit is a van outfitted with COVID-19 laboratory-sampling equipment that can travel to locations and areas as requested. Currently, the Mobile Testing Unit is tentatively scheduled through mid-July. It will make its first appearance in conjunction with an Advent Health/Mercy and Truth Medical Missions event in Wyandotte County on June 27. For information regarding that event or future events, please reach out to the organizing entity.

“We recognize there are disparities with COVID-19 testing,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary. “Part of our testing strategy in Kansas is to alleviate the barriers to getting tested.”

The lab testing is provided at no cost to any individual seeking testing. There is also no cost to the community. The test being performed is a diagnostic test, meaning it will say if the individual currently has COVID-19. The Mobile Testing Unit will collect the samples while at each site and then send them to the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories for processing. Results will be available to individuals in approximately 1-2 days through the partnering local health department or health organization.

If you are interested in having the Mobile Testing Unit in your community, KDHE encourages people to coordinate with their local health departments or also reach out to our&nbsp;<a href="mailto:COVID-19@ks.gov" target="_blank">COVID-19@ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593397742835.png" alt="Photo courtesy office of Kansas Governor" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy office of Kansas Governor</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA&nbsp;– The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) deployed a Mobile Testing Unit to assist communities with COVID-19 testing for underserved populations, according to a media release from Governor Laura Kelly's office.“In order to combat the spread of COVID-19 and safely reopen Kansas, our public health experts must be able to track the scale and scope of this virus,” Governor Kelly said. “Working with local communities and public health officials, this mobile unit helps us reach the vulnerable populations that are experiencing barriers to testing access.”KDHE is working with local health departments and other health organizations to identify locations throughout Kansas which would benefit from this service. The Mobile Testing Unit is a van outfitted with COVID-19 laboratory-sampling equipment that can travel to locations and areas as requested. Currently, the Mobile Testing Unit is tentatively scheduled through mid-July. It will make its first appearance in conjunction with an Advent Health/Mercy and Truth Medical Missions event in Wyandotte County on June 27. For information regarding that event or future events, please reach out to the organizing entity.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588193586788.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman answers questions during a governor's press conference in early June" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman answers questions during a governor's press conference in early June</figcaption>
 </figure>“We recognize there are disparities with COVID-19 testing,” said Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary. “Part of our testing strategy in Kansas is to alleviate the barriers to getting tested.”The lab testing is provided at no cost to any individual seeking testing. There is also no cost to the community. The test being performed is a diagnostic test, meaning it will say if the individual currently has COVID-19. The Mobile Testing Unit will collect the samples while at each site and then send them to the Kansas Health and Environmental Laboratories for processing. Results will be available to individuals in approximately 1-2 days through the partnering local health department or health organization.If you are interested in having the Mobile Testing Unit in your community, KDHE encourages people to coordinate with their local health departments or also reach out to our&nbsp;<a href="mailto:COVID-19@ks.gov" target="_blank">COVID-19@ks.gov</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KDHE mobile unit to assist with COVID-19 testing in Kansas

ROME (AP) — The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday -- 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases -- and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come.

“COVID-19 has taken a very swift and very dangerous turn in Texas over just the past few weeks,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, who allowed businesses to start reopening in early May but on Friday shut down bars and limited restaurant dining amid a spike in cases.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled back reopenings of bars in seven counties, including Los Angeles. He ordered them to close immediately and urged eight other counties to issue local health orders mandating the same.

More Florida beaches will be closing again to avoid further spread of the new coronavirus as officials try to tamp down on large gatherings amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said interactions among young people are driving the surge.

“Caution was thrown to the wind and so we are where we are,” DeSantis said.

South Africa’s health minister warned that the country’s current surge of cases is expected to rapidly increase in the coming weeks and push hospitals to the limit. Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said the current rise in infections has come from people who “moved back into the workplace.

New clusters of cases at a Swiss nightclub and in the central English city of Leicester showed that the virus was still circulating widely in Europe, though not with the rapidly growing infection rate seen in parts of the U.S., Latin America and India.

Poland and France, meanwhile, attempted a step toward normalcy as they held elections that had been delayed by the virus.

Wearing mandatory masks, social distancing in lines and carrying their own pens to sign voting registers, French voters cast ballots in a second round of municipal elections. Poles also wore masks and used hand sanitizer, and some in virus-hit areas were told to mail in their ballots.

“I didn’t go and vote the first time around because I am elderly and I got scared,” said Fanny Barouh as she voted in a Paris school.

In Texas, Abbott appeared with Vice President Mike Pence, who cut campaign events from upcoming visits to Florida and Arizona because of rising virus cases in those states.

Pence praised Abbott for both his decision to reopen the state, and to roll back the reopening plans.

“You flattened the curve here in Texas ... but about two weeks ago something changed,” Pence said.

Pence urged people to wear masks when unable to practice social distancing. He and Abbott wore face masks as they entered and left the room, taking them off while speaking to reporters.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, meanwhile, defended the fact that President Donald Trump has rarely worn a mask in public, saying he doesn’t have to follow his own administration’s guidance because as a leader of the free world he’s tested regularly and is in “very different circumstances than the rest of us.”

Addressing spikes in reported coronavirus cases in some states, Azar said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that people “have to take ownership” of their own behaviors by social distancing and wearing masks if possible.

A reported tally Sunday from Johns Hopkins University researchers said the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic had topped 500,00.

About 1 in 4 of those deaths – more than 125,000 – have been reported in the U.S. The country with the next highest death toll is Brazil, with more than 57,000, or about 1 in 9.

The true death toll from the virus, which first emerged in China late last year, is widely believed to be significantly higher. Experts say that especially early on, many victims died of COVID-19 without being tested for it.

To date, more than 10 million confirmed cases have been reported globally. About a quarter of them have been reported in the U.S.

The World Health Organization announced another daily record in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the world - topping over 189,000 in a single 24-hour period. The tally eclipses the previous record a week earlier at over 183,000 cases, showing case counts continue to progress worldwide.

Overall the U.S. still has far and away the most total cases. At more than 2,450,000 - roughly twice that of Brazil. The number of actual cases worldwide is much higher.

New York, once the nation’s pandemic epicenter, is now “on the exact opposite end,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an interview with “Meet the Press.”

The state reported five new virus deaths Saturday, its lowest reported daily death toll since March 15. During the state’s peak pandemic in April, nearly 800 people were dying every day. New York still leads the nation in COVID-19 deaths with nearly 25,000.

In the state of Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee put a hold on plans to move counties to the fourth phase of his reopening plan as cases continue to increase. But in Hawaii, the city of Honolulu announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure social distancing.

Britain’s government, meanwhile, is considering whether a local lockdown is needed for the central English city of Leicester amid reports about a spike in COVID-19 among its Asian community. It would be Britain’s first local lockdown.

“We have seen flare-ups across the country in recent weeks,” Home Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC on Sunday.

Polish voters were casting ballots, in person and by mail, for a presidential election that was supposed to have taken place in May but was chaotically postponed amid the pandemic. President Andrzej Duda, a 48-year-old conservative, is running against 10 other candidates as he seeks a second five-year term.

Iwona Goge, 79, was encouraged to see so many people voting in Warsaw.

“It’s bad. Poland is terribly divided and people are getting discouraged,” she said.

French voters were choosing mayors and municipal councilors in Paris and 5,000 towns and cities in a second round of municipal elections held under strict hygiene rules.

Italy was honoring its dead later Sunday with an evening Requiem concert in hard-hit Bergamo province. The ceremony in the onetime epicenter of the European outbreak came a day after Italy registered the lowest daily tally of COVID-19 deaths in nearly four months: eight.

European leaders were taking no chances in tamping down new clusters. German authorities renewed a lockdown in a western region of about 500,000 people after about 1,300 slaughterhouse workers tested positive.

Africa’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to climb to a new high of more than 371,000, including 9,484 deaths, according to figures released Sunday by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

China on Monday reported a further decline in new confirmed cases, with a total of just 12, including seven cases of domestic transmission in Beijing, where nearly 8.3 million people have now undergone testing in recent weeks. No new deaths were reported Monday, leaving the total at 4,634 among 83,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

ROME (AP) — Another tragic milestone was passed Sunday in the coronavirus pandemic: 500,000 deaths worldwide.

The reported tally comes <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">from Johns Hopkins University </a>researchers.

The nation’s top public health agency has revamped its list of which Americans are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, adding pregnant women and removing age alone as a factor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html" target="_blank">changed the list</a>&nbsp;of underlying conditions that make someone more susceptible to suffering and death. Sickle cell disease joined the list, for example. And the threshold for risky levels of obesity was lowered.

The changes didn’t include adding race as a risk factor for serious illness, despite accumulating evidence that Black people, Hispanics and Native Americans have higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death.

Agency officials said the update was prompted by medical studies published since CDC first started listing high-risk groups. They sought to publicize the information before Independence Day weekend, when many people may be tempted to go out and socialize.

“For those at higher risk, we recommend limiting contact with others as much as possible, or restricting contacts to a small number of people who are willing to take measures to reduce the risk of (you) becoming infected,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.

The same advice holds for people who live with or care for people at higher risk, Redfield added.

Previously, the CDC said those at high risk of serious illness included people aged 65 years and older; those who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility; and people with serious heart conditions, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and conditions that leave them with weakened immune systems.

In the changes, CDC created categories of people who are at high risk and people who might be at high risk.

Those who are at high risk include people with chronic kidney disease, chronic inflammatory lung disease, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes, and weakened immune systems because of organ transplants. The threshold for obesity concern was lowered from a body mass index of 40 down to 30.

The CDC said people are at increasing risk as they get older, but it removed people 65 and older as a high risk group.

The list of people who might be at high risk includes pregnant women, smokers and those with asthma, diseases that affect blood flow to the brain, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, dementia, liver disease, scarred or damaged lungs, Type 1 diabetes, a rare blood disorder called thalassemia, and people who have weakened immune systems due to HIV or other reasons.

Pregnant women joined the list on the same day a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6925a1.htm?s_cid=mm6925a1_w" target="_blank">CDC report&nbsp;</a>found they accounted for about 9% of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in women of childbearing age. About 5% of women of childbearing age are pregnant at any given time.

The report showed that pregnant women had higher rates of hospitalization, of admission to a hospital intensive care unit and of winding up on a breathing machine vs. young women who weren’t pregnant. There was no clear evidence of a higher death rate among pregnant women, however.

It’s not completely surprising, said Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Emory University School of Medicine. Pregnant women have been found to be at higher risk from other infectious respiratory diseases, likely because the lungs decrease in the volume as the uterus grows, Jamieson said.

What is surprising, she said, is that CDC didn’t place pregnant women in the highest risk category.

“To me this is the most compelling evidence to date that pregnant women are at increased risk,” said Jamieson, who spent 20 years at CDC as a reproductive health expert.

Earlier this week, CDC officials called on a panel of experts to help them identify groups that should be prioritized for coronavirus vaccinations if one becomes available and supplies are limited.

Pregnant women could be among that group. So could certain racial and ethnic groups.

CDC officials shared data with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that showed, compared with white Americans, coronavirus hospitalization rates were 4 times higher for Hispanics, 4.5 times higher for Black people, and 5.5 higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives. A recent study in the Atlanta area suggested that being Black was as large a risk for hospitalization as having diabetes, being a smoker or being obese.

“If we fail to address racial and ethnic groups as at high risk for prioritization, whatever comes out of our group will be looked at very suspiciously and with a lot of reservation,” said Dr. Jose Romero, chair of the expert panel.

“They are groups that need to be moved to the forefront,” he said.

CDC officials say they expect to come out with recommendations for racial and ethnic minority groups soon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593379644162.png" alt="John Hopkins Covid 19 map of of confirmed cases June 28, 2020" />
 <figcaption>John Hopkins Covid 19 map of of confirmed cases June 28, 2020</figcaption>
 </figure>ROME (AP) — The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday -- 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases -- and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come.“COVID-19 has taken a very swift and very dangerous turn in Texas over just the past few weeks,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, who allowed businesses to start reopening in early May but on Friday shut down bars and limited restaurant dining amid a spike in cases.California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled back reopenings of bars in seven counties, including Los Angeles. He ordered them to close immediately and urged eight other counties to issue local health orders mandating the same.More Florida beaches will be closing again to avoid further spread of the new coronavirus as officials try to tamp down on large gatherings amid a spike in COVID-19 cases. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said interactions among young people are driving the surge.“Caution was thrown to the wind and so we are where we are,” DeSantis said.South Africa’s health minister warned that the country’s current surge of cases is expected to rapidly increase in the coming weeks and push hospitals to the limit. Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said the current rise in infections has come from people who “moved back into the workplace.New clusters of cases at a Swiss nightclub and in the central English city of Leicester showed that the virus was still circulating widely in Europe, though not with the rapidly growing infection rate seen in parts of the U.S., Latin America and India.Poland and France, meanwhile, attempted a step toward normalcy as they held elections that had been delayed by the virus.Wearing mandatory masks, social distancing in lines and carrying their own pens to sign voting registers, French voters cast ballots in a second round of municipal elections. Poles also wore masks and used hand sanitizer, and some in virus-hit areas were told to mail in their ballots.“I didn’t go and vote the first time around because I am elderly and I got scared,” said Fanny Barouh as she voted in a Paris school.In Texas, Abbott appeared with Vice President Mike Pence, who cut campaign events from upcoming visits to Florida and Arizona because of rising virus cases in those states.Pence praised Abbott for both his decision to reopen the state, and to roll back the reopening plans.“You flattened the curve here in Texas ... but about two weeks ago something changed,” Pence said.Pence urged people to wear masks when unable to practice social distancing. He and Abbott wore face masks as they entered and left the room, taking them off while speaking to reporters.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, meanwhile, defended the fact that President Donald Trump has rarely worn a mask in public, saying he doesn’t have to follow his own administration’s guidance because as a leader of the free world he’s tested regularly and is in “very different circumstances than the rest of us.”Addressing spikes in reported coronavirus cases in some states, Azar said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that people “have to take ownership” of their own behaviors by social distancing and wearing masks if possible.A reported tally Sunday from Johns Hopkins University researchers said the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic had topped 500,00.About 1 in 4 of those deaths – more than 125,000 – have been reported in the U.S. The country with the next highest death toll is Brazil, with more than 57,000, or about 1 in 9.The true death toll from the virus, which first emerged in China late last year, is widely believed to be significantly higher. Experts say that especially early on, many victims died of COVID-19 without being tested for it.To date, more than 10 million confirmed cases have been reported globally. About a quarter of them have been reported in the U.S.The World Health Organization announced another daily record in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the world - topping over 189,000 in a single 24-hour period. The tally eclipses the previous record a week earlier at over 183,000 cases, showing case counts continue to progress worldwide.Overall the U.S. still has far and away the most total cases. At more than 2,450,000 - roughly twice that of Brazil. The number of actual cases worldwide is much higher.New York, once the nation’s pandemic epicenter, is now “on the exact opposite end,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in an interview with “Meet the Press.”The state reported five new virus deaths Saturday, its lowest reported daily death toll since March 15. During the state’s peak pandemic in April, nearly 800 people were dying every day. New York still leads the nation in COVID-19 deaths with nearly 25,000.In the state of Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee put a hold on plans to move counties to the fourth phase of his reopening plan as cases continue to increase. But in Hawaii, the city of Honolulu announced that campgrounds will reopen for the first time in three months with limited permits to ensure social distancing.Britain’s government, meanwhile, is considering whether a local lockdown is needed for the central English city of Leicester amid reports about a spike in COVID-19 among its Asian community. It would be Britain’s first local lockdown.“We have seen flare-ups across the country in recent weeks,” Home Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC on Sunday.Polish voters were casting ballots, in person and by mail, for a presidential election that was supposed to have taken place in May but was chaotically postponed amid the pandemic. President Andrzej Duda, a 48-year-old conservative, is running against 10 other candidates as he seeks a second five-year term.Iwona Goge, 79, was encouraged to see so many people voting in Warsaw.“It’s bad. Poland is terribly divided and people are getting discouraged,” she said.French voters were choosing mayors and municipal councilors in Paris and 5,000 towns and cities in a second round of municipal elections held under strict hygiene rules.Italy was honoring its dead later Sunday with an evening Requiem concert in hard-hit Bergamo province. The ceremony in the onetime epicenter of the European outbreak came a day after Italy registered the lowest daily tally of COVID-19 deaths in nearly four months: eight.European leaders were taking no chances in tamping down new clusters. German authorities renewed a lockdown in a western region of about 500,000 people after about 1,300 slaughterhouse workers tested positive.Africa’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 continued to climb to a new high of more than 371,000, including 9,484 deaths, according to figures released Sunday by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.China on Monday reported a further decline in new confirmed cases, with a total of just 12, including seven cases of domestic transmission in Beijing, where nearly 8.3 million people have now undergone testing in recent weeks. No new deaths were reported Monday, leaving the total at 4,634 among 83,512 confirmed cases of COVID-19.___ROME (AP) — Another tragic milestone was passed Sunday in the coronavirus pandemic: 500,000 deaths worldwide.The reported tally comes <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">from Johns Hopkins University </a>researchers.About 1 in 4 of those deaths – more than 125,000 – have been reported in the U.S. The country with the next highest death toll is Brazil, with more than 57,000, or about 1 in 9.The true death toll from the virus, which first emerged in China late last year, is widely believed to be significantly higher. Experts say that especially early on, many victims died of COVID-19 without being tested for it.To date, more than 10 million confirmed cases have been reported globally. About a quarter of them have been reported in the U.S.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590784947764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The nation’s top public health agency has revamped its list of which Americans are at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, adding pregnant women and removing age alone as a factor.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html" target="_blank">changed the list</a>&nbsp;of underlying conditions that make someone more susceptible to suffering and death. Sickle cell disease joined the list, for example. And the threshold for risky levels of obesity was lowered.The changes didn’t include adding race as a risk factor for serious illness, despite accumulating evidence that Black people, Hispanics and Native Americans have higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death.Agency officials said the update was prompted by medical studies published since CDC first started listing high-risk groups. They sought to publicize the information before Independence Day weekend, when many people may be tempted to go out and socialize.“For those at higher risk, we recommend limiting contact with others as much as possible, or restricting contacts to a small number of people who are willing to take measures to reduce the risk of (you) becoming infected,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.The same advice holds for people who live with or care for people at higher risk, Redfield added.Previously, the CDC said those at high risk of serious illness included people aged 65 years and older; those who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility; and people with serious heart conditions, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and conditions that leave them with weakened immune systems.In the changes, CDC created categories of people who are at high risk and people who might be at high risk.Those who are at high risk include people with chronic kidney disease, chronic inflammatory lung disease, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes, and weakened immune systems because of organ transplants. The threshold for obesity concern was lowered from a body mass index of 40 down to 30.The CDC said people are at increasing risk as they get older, but it removed people 65 and older as a high risk group.The list of people who might be at high risk includes pregnant women, smokers and those with asthma, diseases that affect blood flow to the brain, cystic fibrosis, high blood pressure, dementia, liver disease, scarred or damaged lungs, Type 1 diabetes, a rare blood disorder called thalassemia, and people who have weakened immune systems due to HIV or other reasons.Pregnant women joined the list on the same day a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6925a1.htm?s_cid=mm6925a1_w" target="_blank">CDC report&nbsp;</a>found they accounted for about 9% of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in women of childbearing age. About 5% of women of childbearing age are pregnant at any given time.The report showed that pregnant women had higher rates of hospitalization, of admission to a hospital intensive care unit and of winding up on a breathing machine vs. young women who weren’t pregnant. There was no clear evidence of a higher death rate among pregnant women, however.It’s not completely surprising, said Dr. Denise Jamieson, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Emory University School of Medicine. Pregnant women have been found to be at higher risk from other infectious respiratory diseases, likely because the lungs decrease in the volume as the uterus grows, Jamieson said.What is surprising, she said, is that CDC didn’t place pregnant women in the highest risk category.“To me this is the most compelling evidence to date that pregnant women are at increased risk,” said Jamieson, who spent 20 years at CDC as a reproductive health expert.Earlier this week, CDC officials called on a panel of experts to help them identify groups that should be prioritized for coronavirus vaccinations if one becomes available and supplies are limited.Pregnant women could be among that group. So could certain racial and ethnic groups.CDC officials shared data with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that showed, compared with white Americans, coronavirus hospitalization rates were 4 times higher for Hispanics, 4.5 times higher for Black people, and 5.5 higher for American Indians and Alaska Natives. A recent study in the Atlanta area suggested that being Black was as large a risk for hospitalization as having diabetes, being a smoker or being obese.“If we fail to address racial and ethnic groups as at high risk for prioritization, whatever comes out of our group will be looked at very suspiciously and with a lot of reservation,” said Dr. Jose Romero, chair of the expert panel.“They are groups that need to be moved to the forefront,” he said.CDC officials say they expect to come out with recommendations for racial and ethnic minority groups soon.___

World hits coronavirus milestones amid fears worse to come

The&nbsp;<a href="https://mccain.k-state.edu/" target="_blank">McCain Performance Series</a>&nbsp;at Kansas State University is canceling plans for a full subscription series in fall 2020. The decision, made in consultation with university officials, is for the safety of students, staff, volunteers, patrons and artists in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "It was a heartbreaking decision erasing up to two years of planning," said director Todd Holmberg. "Ultimately, the guiding principle in this decision was the safety of the campus and community. The decision was also predicated on the fact that several scheduled artists and attractions were canceling their own plans to tour until at least January 2021." The 2020-2021 McCain Performance Series was scheduled to be announced in early June with single ticket sales to begin in August. The unannounced schedule included 14 major events, two of which were rescheduled from April to fall: "Piff the Magic Dragon" and Kool&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;The Gang, which are now postponed indefinitely. For those two shows, McCain Auditorium is in the process of notifying patrons and providing them with options of donating the value of their tickets to McCain, obtaining a gift certificate to be used in the future, or receiving a refund. Ticket holders for those two shows should contact McCain Auditorium via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mccain@k-state.edu" target="_blank">mccain@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;with their preference by Aug. 31. McCain is working on rescheduling as many fall 2020 shows to fall 2021 as possible. No plans have been made at this time to cancel spring semester shows, which also have not been announced. Those shows will only happen however if it is determined by university, government and health officials that it safe to do so. "Many people have already asked about the auditorium's financial viability as a result of the cancellations," Holmberg said. "The McCain Performance Series is not financially supported by the university or the state of Kansas. With potentially no ticket income, we hope to weather the storm with our emergency cash reserves that were funded through private donations and to rely on the generosity of current and future McCain donors. We are also discussing internally some alternate one-off events that might be considerably smaller in scale or occur outdoors or virtually. We will have to be creative with our event planning and fundraising, but I am optimistic that McCain will emerge stronger on the other side."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593434183981.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;<a href="https://mccain.k-state.edu/" target="_blank">McCain Performance Series</a>&nbsp;at Kansas State University is canceling plans for a full subscription series in fall 2020. The decision, made in consultation with university officials, is for the safety of students, staff, volunteers, patrons and artists in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "It was a heartbreaking decision erasing up to two years of planning," said director Todd Holmberg. "Ultimately, the guiding principle in this decision was the safety of the campus and community. The decision was also predicated on the fact that several scheduled artists and attractions were canceling their own plans to tour until at least January 2021." The 2020-2021 McCain Performance Series was scheduled to be announced in early June with single ticket sales to begin in August. The unannounced schedule included 14 major events, two of which were rescheduled from April to fall: "Piff the Magic Dragon" and Kool&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;The Gang, which are now postponed indefinitely. For those two shows, McCain Auditorium is in the process of notifying patrons and providing them with options of donating the value of their tickets to McCain, obtaining a gift certificate to be used in the future, or receiving a refund. Ticket holders for those two shows should contact McCain Auditorium via email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:mccain@k-state.edu" target="_blank">mccain@k-state.edu</a>&nbsp;with their preference by Aug. 31. McCain is working on rescheduling as many fall 2020 shows to fall 2021 as possible. No plans have been made at this time to cancel spring semester shows, which also have not been announced. Those shows will only happen however if it is determined by university, government and health officials that it safe to do so. "Many people have already asked about the auditorium's financial viability as a result of the cancellations," Holmberg said. "The McCain Performance Series is not financially supported by the university or the state of Kansas. With potentially no ticket income, we hope to weather the storm with our emergency cash reserves that were funded through private donations and to rely on the generosity of current and future McCain donors. We are also discussing internally some alternate one-off events that might be considerably smaller in scale or occur outdoors or virtually. We will have to be creative with our event planning and fundraising, but I am optimistic that McCain will emerge stronger on the other side."K-State News and Communications ServicesDivision of Communications and Marketing

McCain Performance Series cancels plans for 2020 fall season

USD 475 has announced via social media that with the current increase in positive tests related to COVID-19 in and around the community and out of an abundance of caution, athletic facilities at all USD 475 campuses will be closed during the week of June 29th – July 3rd. 

Therefore, the District will NOT conduct on campus conditioning or team workouts/practices during the week of June 29th – July 3rd.

USD 475 has announced via social media that with the current increase in positive tests related to COVID-19 in and around the community and out of an abundance of caution, athletic facilities at all USD 475 campuses will be closed during the week of June 29th – July 3rd. Therefore, the District will NOT conduct on campus conditioning or team workouts/practices during the week of June 29th – July 3rd.

No conditioning or team workouts for USD 475 will occur this week

Emergency Management reports that Geary County has been informed of Covid positive case number 45. It is a 23 year old man who is at home in isolation. 

People who have been in contact with him have been notified. The contact was from outside of Geary County

Emergency Management reports that Geary County has been informed of Covid positive case number 45. It is a 23 year old man who is at home in isolation. People who have been in contact with him have been notified. The contact was from outside of Geary County

Covid-19 positive case number 45 is confirmed in Geary County

&nbsp; A coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed at Riley County Emergency Medical Services (EMS). A total of six EMS personnel tested positive for COVID-19 and test results are pending for three more. Results will be shared when information becomes available. Positive cases have been confirmed at two out of four EMS stations in the County, with a third likely. Riley County officials confirmed all emergency medical and fire services are fully supported and operational at this time. There have been no changes in response posture for the community. The initial infections have been tracked to community spread, and not exposure from patients served by EMS. After the first infections, the close living quarters for emergency personnel caused the transfer between staff members. “We knew we had to be prepared for staff to test positive,” said Riley County Emergency Services Director David Adams. “We put plans and protocols in place months ago and have covered shifts with overtime or part-time staff in order to continue serving the community.” Riley County EMS is following all&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=d043005927&amp;e=fd06d17886" target="_blank">CDC protocol</a>&nbsp;for critical infrastructure workers who may have had exposure to COVID-19. The local procedures have been based on the processes used by emergency personnel in New York City, as well as consultations with other stations throughout Kansas. These procedures include taking temperatures, wearing personal protective equipment, practicing social distancing as work duties permit, sanitizing all equipment, and sending sick employees home. “Thankfully, none of the cases have been severe,” said Adams. “My staff are reporting headaches, pressure behind the eyes, body aches, and fatigue so I have every hope that they will all make full recoveries.” The Manhattan Fire Department works closely with EMS and occupy some of the same living quarters. They have pulled nine fire fighters from active duty pending test results. Some of those fire fighters are in quarantine at a local hotel. “We wish we could have issued a report as soon as we knew of the positives, but our first priority was taking care of staff and making sure there were enough unexposed individuals to cover all shifts to continue providing emergency services,” said Manhattan Fire Chief Scott French. “In the future, we’ll be sure to inform communications staff right away so the public gets firsthand knowledge of the situation.” Close living quarters and sustained close contact between individuals at bars and restaurants has been a major cause of the recent spike in positive cases for Riley County. It is important to avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings. “We recognize the risk of healthcare professionals coming into contact with positive patients,” said Riley County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Andrew Adams. “We are all taking precautions, but when COVID gets into a household, with roommates or family who have close contact, it is very difficult to slow the spread.” As of Sunday at 1:00 p.m., Riley County had a total of 207 positive cases, with 121 active, 83 recovered, and 3 deaths. The total has increased by 23 since Friday’s report.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ascension Via Christi hospital has one positive patient who is on a ventilator and no Persons Under Investigation currently hospitalized. Riley County Statistics for Sunday, June 28, 2020:

&nbsp; A coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed at Riley County Emergency Medical Services (EMS). A total of six EMS personnel tested positive for COVID-19 and test results are pending for three more. Results will be shared when information becomes available. Positive cases have been confirmed at two out of four EMS stations in the County, with a third likely. Riley County officials confirmed all emergency medical and fire services are fully supported and operational at this time. There have been no changes in response posture for the community. The initial infections have been tracked to community spread, and not exposure from patients served by EMS. After the first infections, the close living quarters for emergency personnel caused the transfer between staff members. “We knew we had to be prepared for staff to test positive,” said Riley County Emergency Services Director David Adams. “We put plans and protocols in place months ago and have covered shifts with overtime or part-time staff in order to continue serving the community.” Riley County EMS is following all&nbsp;<a href="https://gmail.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=95221c46aac4689e49a7c0bfc&amp;id=d043005927&amp;e=fd06d17886" target="_blank">CDC protocol</a>&nbsp;for critical infrastructure workers who may have had exposure to COVID-19. The local procedures have been based on the processes used by emergency personnel in New York City, as well as consultations with other stations throughout Kansas. These procedures include taking temperatures, wearing personal protective equipment, practicing social distancing as work duties permit, sanitizing all equipment, and sending sick employees home. “Thankfully, none of the cases have been severe,” said Adams. “My staff are reporting headaches, pressure behind the eyes, body aches, and fatigue so I have every hope that they will all make full recoveries.” The Manhattan Fire Department works closely with EMS and occupy some of the same living quarters. They have pulled nine fire fighters from active duty pending test results. Some of those fire fighters are in quarantine at a local hotel. “We wish we could have issued a report as soon as we knew of the positives, but our first priority was taking care of staff and making sure there were enough unexposed individuals to cover all shifts to continue providing emergency services,” said Manhattan Fire Chief Scott French. “In the future, we’ll be sure to inform communications staff right away so the public gets firsthand knowledge of the situation.” Close living quarters and sustained close contact between individuals at bars and restaurants has been a major cause of the recent spike in positive cases for Riley County. It is important to avoid the 3 C’s: closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings. “We recognize the risk of healthcare professionals coming into contact with positive patients,” said Riley County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Andrew Adams. “We are all taking precautions, but when COVID gets into a household, with roommates or family who have close contact, it is very difficult to slow the spread.” As of Sunday at 1:00 p.m., Riley County had a total of 207 positive cases, with 121 active, 83 recovered, and 3 deaths. The total has increased by 23 since Friday’s report.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Ascension Via Christi hospital has one positive patient who is on a ventilator and no Persons Under Investigation currently hospitalized. Riley County Statistics for Sunday, June 28, 2020:<ul>
 <li>Total positive cases in Riley County Residents:&nbsp;207</li><li>Total Active:&nbsp;121</li><li>Total Recovered:&nbsp;83</li><li>Currently Hospitalized: 1</li><li>Total deaths:&nbsp;3</li><li>Pending test results:&nbsp;189</li><li>Negative test results:&nbsp;2,469</li>
 </ul>

Six Riley County EMS personnel test positive, Riley County total reaches 207

Geary County Health Department has confirmed another positive Covid Case. Number 44 is a 27 year old woman who resides with another positive case that has already been reported. 

Those who have been in contact with the latest case have been notified. Both of these people are considered to have received the virus outside of Geary County

Geary County Health Department has confirmed another positive Covid Case. Number 44 is a 27 year old woman who resides with another positive case that has already been reported. Those who have been in contact with the latest case have been notified. Both of these people are considered to have received the virus outside of Geary County

One positive COVID-19 case reported in Geary County on Saturday

Washington (AP) —Governors in places seeing huge spikes in coronavirus infections often cite statewide data to assure the public they have plenty of hospital capacity to survive the onslaught, even as the states routinely miss the critical benchmarks to guide their pandemic response.

Public health officials and experts say the heavy reliance on statewide hospital data is a misleading and sometimes irresponsible metric to justify keeping a state open or holding back on imposing new limits.

That is because statewide statistics can be deceiving, especially in large states where individual hospitals can be in crisis mode even while the overall capacity numbers look OK.

Thomas LaVeist, dean of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, said basing pandemic and reopening policy on statewide hospital bed capacity ”is incredibly irresponsible.”

“To cherry-pick hospital capacity and to use that one metric without the context of number of cases, number of deaths, is shocking,” LaVeist said.

The issue of hospital capacity has gained urgency across the nation this week as Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and other states reported skyrocketing case numbers. Governors have repeatedly invoked hospital capacity in arguing against new business restrictions, though the dynamic began to shift Friday when Texas and Florida clamped down on bars amid an increasingly dire situation with COVID-19.

At the first White House coronavirus briefing nearly two months Friday, Vice President Mike Pence also cited hospitalizations in discussing the outlook for the pandemic.

Two months ago, Pence said 15% of patients were being hospitalized. Now it’s about 5%. That means the health care system is better positioned to cope with a resurgence in cases, he says.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas jumped by 568, fueled in part by outbreaks in sports practices and tournaments. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Friday that there were now 13,538 cases, up 4.3% from Wednesday and 12% from last Friday. The state also reported three more deaths, bringing the total to 264 since the pandemic began in early March.&nbsp;

In Texas, the state health department’s website on Thursday showed 12,951 available beds, 1,320 available ICU beds, and 5,850 available ventilators. What it doesn’t break down is how bleak the situation is in some particular places, including Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. Hospital beds in Houston are filling so fast that Texas Children’s Hospital is starting to treat adult patients, and 97% of ICU beds at Texas Medical Center were in use.

In Miami, Homestead Hospital confirmed Tuesday it was at capacity. The hospital was transferring patients to other hospitals and preparing to convert regular beds to beds for ICU and acute care patients, if needed.

In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has declined to impose new restrictions on business activity or a stay-at-home order, repeatedly citing ample capacity in the state’s hospitals as the reason he is comfortable staying open.

“That’s what’s most important when there’s a rise in cases,” Ducey said earlier this month.

Ducey has condemned as “misinformation” the notion that hospital space is running short, even as state data shows that 85% of Arizona’s hospital beds are occupied. Arizona has about 2,500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

At the same time, the state is badly missing the mark on the benchmarks established by the White House task force to guide the reopening of the economy, with 23 percent of COVID-19 tests coming back positive in the past week in Arizona.

The task force does not include statewide hospitalizations as part of its criteria that states are supposed to meet before reopening. Those criteria include a downward trajectory of cases within a two-week period. They also specify that hospitals should have enough intensive care unit capacity to treat a surge in patients and should have a robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including virus antibody testing.

Dr. Joseph Gerald, associate professor of public health policy and management at the University of Arizona, said that if the trend continues, cases will likely exceed statewide hospital bed capacity within the next several weeks.

California has broken several of its own daily records for the number of positive tests and hospitalizations have risen by more than 30 percent in the past two weeks. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has sounded an upbeat tone in recent days about hospital capacity but changed his tune somewhat on Friday, saying he wants a Southern California county that borders Mexico to consider a stay-home order again.

Dr. Colleen Kraft, associate chief medical officer at Emory Hospital in Atlanta and a member of Georgia’s coronavirus task force, said regional hospital bed capacity would be a better metric than statewide capacity. She lamented that the pandemic has seemingly devolved into a “political situation.”

“As someone who came into medicine to serve people, it’s difficult to watch,” Kraft said.

Robyn Gershon, a professor and public health expert at New York University, called using statewide hospital bed capacity to guide policy “completely unethical.”

’’It’s unethical to say let’s just go about our business and by the way, we can handle the overflow,” Gershon said. “A better measure is the 14-day and seven-day case infection rate. That’s what’s telling us what’s going on right now.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593204436609.png" alt="Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speak during a briefing with members of the Coronavirus Task Force at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, Friday" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Mike Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speak during a briefing with members of the Coronavirus Task Force at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, Friday</figcaption>
 </figure>By JIM SALTER and LINDSEY TANNERWashington (AP) —Governors in places seeing huge spikes in coronavirus infections often cite statewide data to assure the public they have plenty of hospital capacity to survive the onslaught, even as the states routinely miss the critical benchmarks to guide their pandemic response.Public health officials and experts say the heavy reliance on statewide hospital data is a misleading and sometimes irresponsible metric to justify keeping a state open or holding back on imposing new limits.That is because statewide statistics can be deceiving, especially in large states where individual hospitals can be in crisis mode even while the overall capacity numbers look OK.Thomas LaVeist, dean of the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, said basing pandemic and reopening policy on statewide hospital bed capacity ”is incredibly irresponsible.”“To cherry-pick hospital capacity and to use that one metric without the context of number of cases, number of deaths, is shocking,” LaVeist said.The issue of hospital capacity has gained urgency across the nation this week as Florida, Texas, California, Arizona and other states reported skyrocketing case numbers. Governors have repeatedly invoked hospital capacity in arguing against new business restrictions, though the dynamic began to shift Friday when Texas and Florida clamped down on bars amid an increasingly dire situation with COVID-19.At the first White House coronavirus briefing nearly two months Friday, Vice President Mike Pence also cited hospitalizations in discussing the outlook for the pandemic.Two months ago, Pence said 15% of patients were being hospitalized. Now it’s about 5%. That means the health care system is better positioned to cope with a resurgence in cases, he says.The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas jumped by 568, fueled in part by outbreaks in sports practices and tournaments. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Friday that there were now 13,538 cases, up 4.3% from Wednesday and 12% from last Friday. The state also reported three more deaths, bringing the total to 264 since the pandemic began in early March.&nbsp;In Texas, the state health department’s website on Thursday showed 12,951 available beds, 1,320 available ICU beds, and 5,850 available ventilators. What it doesn’t break down is how bleak the situation is in some particular places, including Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city. Hospital beds in Houston are filling so fast that Texas Children’s Hospital is starting to treat adult patients, and 97% of ICU beds at Texas Medical Center were in use.In Miami, Homestead Hospital confirmed Tuesday it was at capacity. The hospital was transferring patients to other hospitals and preparing to convert regular beds to beds for ICU and acute care patients, if needed.In Arizona, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has declined to impose new restrictions on business activity or a stay-at-home order, repeatedly citing ample capacity in the state’s hospitals as the reason he is comfortable staying open.“That’s what’s most important when there’s a rise in cases,” Ducey said earlier this month.Ducey has condemned as “misinformation” the notion that hospital space is running short, even as state data shows that 85% of Arizona’s hospital beds are occupied. Arizona has about 2,500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.At the same time, the state is badly missing the mark on the benchmarks established by the White House task force to guide the reopening of the economy, with 23 percent of COVID-19 tests coming back positive in the past week in Arizona.The task force does not include statewide hospitalizations as part of its criteria that states are supposed to meet before reopening. Those criteria include a downward trajectory of cases within a two-week period. They also specify that hospitals should have enough intensive care unit capacity to treat a surge in patients and should have a robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including virus antibody testing.Dr. Joseph Gerald, associate professor of public health policy and management at the University of Arizona, said that if the trend continues, cases will likely exceed statewide hospital bed capacity within the next several weeks.California has broken several of its own daily records for the number of positive tests and hospitalizations have risen by more than 30 percent in the past two weeks. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has sounded an upbeat tone in recent days about hospital capacity but changed his tune somewhat on Friday, saying he wants a Southern California county that borders Mexico to consider a stay-home order again.Dr. Colleen Kraft, associate chief medical officer at Emory Hospital in Atlanta and a member of Georgia’s coronavirus task force, said regional hospital bed capacity would be a better metric than statewide capacity. She lamented that the pandemic has seemingly devolved into a “political situation.”“As someone who came into medicine to serve people, it’s difficult to watch,” Kraft said.Robyn Gershon, a professor and public health expert at New York University, called using statewide hospital bed capacity to guide policy “completely unethical.”’’It’s unethical to say let’s just go about our business and by the way, we can handle the overflow,” Gershon said. “A better measure is the 14-day and seven-day case infection rate. That’s what’s telling us what’s going on right now.”—-

Coronavirus Update