DAKOTA CITY, NEB. (AP)&nbsp;— Tyson Foods said Thursday that it was temporarily suspending operations at a&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;beef processing plant that serves as the largest employer for neighboring Sioux City,&nbsp;Iowa, after a surge of coronavirus cases in the area.

Tyson announced in a news release that it would close the Dakota City plant Friday through Monday to perform a deep cleaning of the facility.

State health officials in recent days have reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases in both Nebraska’s Dakota County, where the plant is located, and Woodbury County, Iowa, where Sioux City is located. Tyson previously disclosed that some workers at the plant had tested positive for the virus, but it has not said how many. The&nbsp;Arkansas-based company said it was screening Dakota City employees for the virus this week with the help of the Nebraska National Guard.

The Dakota City facility is one of the largest beef processing plants in the country, employing about 4,300 people. The move follows recent closures of other meat processing facilities across the country due the coronavirus, which spreads rapidly among workers who often stand shoulder to shoulder on production lines.

It also comes after President Donald Trump this week issued an executive order requiring meat processing plants to stay open during the coronavirus crisis. The order was widely seen as giving processors protection from liability for workers who become sick on the job.

The order followed a lawsuit accusing&nbsp;Virginia-based Smithfield Foods of not doing enough to protect employees at its plant in Milan,&nbsp;Missouri. A hearing on that suit was scheduled for Thursday morning.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588259947500.png" alt="Entrance to the Tyson Plant in Dakota City, NE -google image" />
 <figcaption>Entrance to the Tyson Plant in Dakota City, NE -google image</figcaption>
 </figure>DAKOTA CITY, NEB. (AP)&nbsp;— Tyson Foods said Thursday that it was temporarily suspending operations at a&nbsp;Nebraska&nbsp;beef processing plant that serves as the largest employer for neighboring Sioux City,&nbsp;Iowa, after a surge of coronavirus cases in the area.Tyson announced in a news release that it would close the Dakota City plant Friday through Monday to perform a deep cleaning of the facility.State health officials in recent days have reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases in both Nebraska’s Dakota County, where the plant is located, and Woodbury County, Iowa, where Sioux City is located. Tyson previously disclosed that some workers at the plant had tested positive for the virus, but it has not said how many. The&nbsp;Arkansas-based company said it was screening Dakota City employees for the virus this week with the help of the Nebraska National Guard.The Dakota City facility is one of the largest beef processing plants in the country, employing about 4,300 people. The move follows recent closures of other meat processing facilities across the country due the coronavirus, which spreads rapidly among workers who often stand shoulder to shoulder on production lines.It also comes after President Donald Trump this week issued an executive order requiring meat processing plants to stay open during the coronavirus crisis. The order was widely seen as giving processors protection from liability for workers who become sick on the job.The order followed a lawsuit accusing&nbsp;Virginia-based Smithfield Foods of not doing enough to protect employees at its plant in Milan,&nbsp;Missouri. A hearing on that suit was scheduled for Thursday morning.

Virus outbreak: Tyson closes beef plant for deep cleaning

Organizers of the Heartland Stampede confirmed Thursday they have cancelled this summer's festival.

In a letter on the festival web site, the organization wrote, "We have watched as the COVID crisis has spread throughout the world, impacting people of all walks of life.&nbsp;&nbsp; Initially we had hoped that we could weather this storm and that Stampede fans would be ready to celebrate the end of social distancing at our festival.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was perhaps wishful thinking, as very few would have predicted how rapidly our world would unravel.

We are sorry to announce that&nbsp;we&nbsp;must&nbsp;cancel the 2020 Heartland Stampede&nbsp;Music Festival.&nbsp; From the bottom of our hearts, we are sorry for keeping your hopes up that we could make it happen. Every effort was made for a possible reschedule date, but dates and artists were not available.&nbsp;This is not the course of action we want to take, however with the new government COVID19 recovery measures indicating mass gatherings will not be permitted, and in times of unprecedented uncertainty, this is now our only viable option.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Heartland Stampede&nbsp;Music Festival&nbsp;will take place in June 24, 25, 26, 2021. All customers who purchased festival tickets through Heartland Stampede will receive an email with details about transferring their tickets to the 2021 event or requesting a refund.&nbsp;

We thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to producing a fantastic festival for you in 2021. Please stay healthy, stay mentally connected and although physically apart, please remember we are all in this fight together!"

<a href="https://www.heartlandstampede.com/cancellation-information">Click here for more</a> information on ticket rollover and refunds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588261849404.png" alt="Photo courtesy Heartland Stampede" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Heartland Stampede</figcaption>
 </figure>Organizers of the Heartland Stampede confirmed Thursday they have cancelled this summer's festival.In a letter on the festival web site, the organization wrote, "We have watched as the COVID crisis has spread throughout the world, impacting people of all walks of life.&nbsp;&nbsp; Initially we had hoped that we could weather this storm and that Stampede fans would be ready to celebrate the end of social distancing at our festival.&nbsp;&nbsp; This was perhaps wishful thinking, as very few would have predicted how rapidly our world would unravel.We are sorry to announce that&nbsp;we&nbsp;must&nbsp;cancel the 2020 Heartland Stampede&nbsp;Music Festival.&nbsp; From the bottom of our hearts, we are sorry for keeping your hopes up that we could make it happen. Every effort was made for a possible reschedule date, but dates and artists were not available.&nbsp;This is not the course of action we want to take, however with the new government COVID19 recovery measures indicating mass gatherings will not be permitted, and in times of unprecedented uncertainty, this is now our only viable option.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Heartland Stampede&nbsp;Music Festival&nbsp;will take place in June 24, 25, 26, 2021. All customers who purchased festival tickets through Heartland Stampede will receive an email with details about transferring their tickets to the 2021 event or requesting a refund.&nbsp;We thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to producing a fantastic festival for you in 2021. Please stay healthy, stay mentally connected and although physically apart, please remember we are all in this fight together!"<a href="https://www.heartlandstampede.com/cancellation-information">Click here for more</a> information on ticket rollover and refunds.

No Heartland Stampede this summer due to pandemic

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities are investigating an incident that sent a Kansas jail inmate to a hospital for treatment.

Just before 2:30a.m. Tuesday, deputies brought 55-year-old David Beasley&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County detention facility to be booked on misdemeanor charges, according to Lt. Tim Myers.

&nbsp;Beasley was very uncooperative and refused to exit the transport van. Approximately 5 minutes passed and a detention sergeant was able to convince Beasley to exit the van and walk into the facility with assistance from deputies.

While in the facility, Beasley became uncooperative again and refused to walk any further and started becoming resistant.&nbsp; He was yelling and was passive aggressive wanting us to kill him and then asking us not to kill him, according to Myers.

At this time deputies came to the conclusion that he was either under the influence of drugs or was having a manic episode.&nbsp; For his safety and the safety of others he was placed into a restraint chair and placed into a room until he calmed down and staff could approach him safely.

During the time he was in the restraint chair, checks were conducted to ensure he was safe and to see if he was calming down.&nbsp; At 5:38 a.m., deputies removed him from the restraint chair because Beasley had calmed down.&nbsp; Staff gave him breakfast and he ate.&nbsp;

At 6:35 a.m., Beasley was seen in his cell hitting his head against the concrete walls and metal door encasement.&nbsp;

<a href="http://sedgwick.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=4294">Click here to view</a> security camera video of the incident.

Deputies responded and tried to calm him down.&nbsp; Beasley continued to strike his head against the concrete wall and striking the metal door with both fists.&nbsp; He also started biting his hands.&nbsp;&nbsp; Deputies tried to calm him down through the door by utilizing Interpersonal Communication skills and Crisis Intervention Team skills.

Due to Beasley’s aggressive behavior and taking a fighting stance as deputies were standing outside the door, additional deputies and equipment were brought to booking to safely deal with him.

&nbsp; The door to his cell was opened and a shield was utilized for the deputy’s safety to put Beasley up against the wall and other deputies were then able to restrain him, according to Myers.

Deputies contacted EMS to come to the facility.&nbsp; Beasley was still very combative and was spitting blood on deputies and EMS personnel.&nbsp; 

EMS did transport Beasley to St. Francis hospital.&nbsp; He was placed into ICU due to the narcotics he had ingested.&nbsp; He suffered lacerations to his head and a broken hand.&nbsp; All of Beasley’s injuries were self-inflicted, according to Myers.

Beasley was released from jail custody by the City of Wichita Municipal Court at 12:17 p.m. Wednesday.&nbsp; At the time of release&nbsp; Beasley was still in the hospital.

According to Myers, "unfortunately, these types of events happen all too often inside the facility.&nbsp; We deal with people that are extremely intoxicated or have taken illicit drugs that cause manic episodes.&nbsp; The deputies handled this situation with professionalism and compassion.&nbsp; These are not easy situations to deal with; however, the deputies handled this situation admirably."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588209562610.png" alt="Beasley photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Beasley photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Authorities are investigating an incident that sent a Kansas jail inmate to a hospital for treatment.Just before 2:30a.m. Tuesday, deputies brought 55-year-old David Beasley&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County detention facility to be booked on misdemeanor charges, according to Lt. Tim Myers.&nbsp;Beasley was very uncooperative and refused to exit the transport van. Approximately 5 minutes passed and a detention sergeant was able to convince Beasley to exit the van and walk into the facility with assistance from deputies.While in the facility, Beasley became uncooperative again and refused to walk any further and started becoming resistant.&nbsp; He was yelling and was passive aggressive wanting us to kill him and then asking us not to kill him, according to Myers.At this time deputies came to the conclusion that he was either under the influence of drugs or was having a manic episode.&nbsp; For his safety and the safety of others he was placed into a restraint chair and placed into a room until he calmed down and staff could approach him safely.During the time he was in the restraint chair, checks were conducted to ensure he was safe and to see if he was calming down.&nbsp; At 5:38 a.m., deputies removed him from the restraint chair because Beasley had calmed down.&nbsp; Staff gave him breakfast and he ate.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588209660000.png" alt="Beasley from security camera images courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff's Offie" />
 <figcaption>Beasley from security camera images courtesy Sedgwick County Sheriff's Offie</figcaption>
 </figure>At 6:35 a.m., Beasley was seen in his cell hitting his head against the concrete walls and metal door encasement.&nbsp;<a href="http://sedgwick.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?clip_id=4294">Click here to view</a> security camera video of the incident.Deputies responded and tried to calm him down.&nbsp; Beasley continued to strike his head against the concrete wall and striking the metal door with both fists.&nbsp; He also started biting his hands.&nbsp;&nbsp; Deputies tried to calm him down through the door by utilizing Interpersonal Communication skills and Crisis Intervention Team skills.Due to Beasley’s aggressive behavior and taking a fighting stance as deputies were standing outside the door, additional deputies and equipment were brought to booking to safely deal with him.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588256705148.png" alt="Security camera image of Beasley as deputies opened his cell -courtesy Sedgwick Co. Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Security camera image of Beasley as deputies opened his cell -courtesy Sedgwick Co. Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp; The door to his cell was opened and a shield was utilized for the deputy’s safety to put Beasley up against the wall and other deputies were then able to restrain him, according to Myers.Deputies contacted EMS to come to the facility.&nbsp; Beasley was still very combative and was spitting blood on deputies and EMS personnel.&nbsp; EMS did transport Beasley to St. Francis hospital.&nbsp; He was placed into ICU due to the narcotics he had ingested.&nbsp; He suffered lacerations to his head and a broken hand.&nbsp; All of Beasley’s injuries were self-inflicted, according to Myers.Beasley was released from jail custody by the City of Wichita Municipal Court at 12:17 p.m. Wednesday.&nbsp; At the time of release&nbsp; Beasley was still in the hospital.According to Myers, "unfortunately, these types of events happen all too often inside the facility.&nbsp; We deal with people that are extremely intoxicated or have taken illicit drugs that cause manic episodes.&nbsp; The deputies handled this situation with professionalism and compassion.&nbsp; These are not easy situations to deal with; however, the deputies handled this situation admirably."

🎥 Kansas inmate hospitalized after violent incident 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A surge in unemployment stemming from the coronavirus shutdown of large parts of the U.S. economy is starting to push some state jobless funds toward insolvency.

At least a half-dozen states already have notified the federal government that they could need to borrow billions of dollars to pay unemployment benefits because their own trust funds are running out of money.

While the shortfalls won't prevent unemployed workers from getting government aid, the federal loans could lead to higher taxes for businesses in future years to repay the debt.

U.S. Treasury data shows&nbsp;California,&nbsp;Connecticut&nbsp;and&nbsp;Illinois&nbsp;all expect to borrow soon from the federal government to prop up their unemployment funds. Officials in&nbsp;Massachusetts,&nbsp;New York&nbsp;and&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;confirmed to The Associated Press that they also have notified the federal government of their anticipated need for loans.

All six of those states' unemployment funds ranked among those at the greatest risk of insolvency because they didn't have adequate reserves to weather a recession, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released before the coronavirus outbreak. Many more states also could need federal loans given the widespread economic damage.

“I can't imagine a state that's not going to have to borrow by the end of this year,” said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, a New York-based group that advocates for low-wage workers and the unemployed.

As of mid-April, about 26 million Americans had filed unemployment claims in the first five weeks since governments began ordering people to stay home and some businesses to close as a precaution against spreading the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. It's already the worst stretch of job losses in U.S. history. New unemployment data to be released Thursday is expected to push that total even higher.

State unemployment benefits are funded by special taxes on employers and paid through state trust funds. Each state sets its own tax rate and benefit payment amounts. When trust funds run low, states can get federal loans that must be repaid with interest. Loans taken out this year would need to be repaid by November 2022, or else the federal government could raise taxes on businesses to recoup the money.

A law signed by President Donald Trump last month waived the interest on state unemployment loans through the end of this year. But that's a shorter reprieve than was granted during the Great Recession, when interest was waived from February 2009 through December 2010.

The last recession led to the insolvency of unemployment trust funds in 35 states that collectively racked up more than $40 billion of debt to keep paying unemployed workers. It took years for states to repay that.

“Unfortunately, many of them got caught in this vicious cycle now, where they spent most of the 11 years of economic growth looking backwards, paying off the prior accrued debt rather than being able to save and invest for this current crisis,” said Jared Walczak, director of state tax policy at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

From the beginning of March through mid-April, state unemployment trust funds have declined by a median of 10%, according to an AP analysis of U.S. Treasury data. But the drop has been far more dramatic in states that were among the first to shut down their economies and among the quickest to pay benefits to the unemployed.

Massachusetts, which provides among the most generous unemployment benefits nationally, saw its trust fund cut in half from early March to mid-April, from $1.6 billion to less than $750 million. That marked the largest percentage decline nationally.

In a letter to the U.S. labor secretary, Gov. Charlie Baker estimated the state could need to borrow $1.2 billion in May and June to pay unemployment benefits.

New York's unemployment trust fund also declined by nearly half during that six-week period, from almost $2.5 billion to less than $1.3 billion. The state has applied for up to $4 billion in federal loans, said New York Department of Labor spokeswoman Deanna Cohen.

How much help New York ultimately needs will depend on how many more people seek unemployment benefits and how long they are without work, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

“But it’s in the billions of dollars," he said. “There’s no doubt about that.”

At the start of this year, California's trust fund had barely one-fifth of the recommended amount needed to weather a recession, the worst rating among all states. It's trust fund balance fell from $3.1 billion in early March to $1.9 billion in mid-April and has continued to slide.

The state could need to start borrowing from the federal government by the beginning of May, said Barry White, a spokesman for the California Employment Development Department.

Officials in Connecticut and Texas also said they could need to start borrowing in May to pay unemployment claims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588193128049.png" alt="Empty gas pumps at station in Kansas-google image" />
 <figcaption>Empty gas pumps at station in Kansas-google image</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A surge in unemployment stemming from the coronavirus shutdown of large parts of the U.S. economy is starting to push some state jobless funds toward insolvency.At least a half-dozen states already have notified the federal government that they could need to borrow billions of dollars to pay unemployment benefits because their own trust funds are running out of money.While the shortfalls won't prevent unemployed workers from getting government aid, the federal loans could lead to higher taxes for businesses in future years to repay the debt.U.S. Treasury data shows&nbsp;California,&nbsp;Connecticut&nbsp;and&nbsp;Illinois&nbsp;all expect to borrow soon from the federal government to prop up their unemployment funds. Officials in&nbsp;Massachusetts,&nbsp;New York&nbsp;and&nbsp;Texas&nbsp;confirmed to The Associated Press that they also have notified the federal government of their anticipated need for loans.All six of those states' unemployment funds ranked among those at the greatest risk of insolvency because they didn't have adequate reserves to weather a recession, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released before the coronavirus outbreak. Many more states also could need federal loans given the widespread economic damage.“I can't imagine a state that's not going to have to borrow by the end of this year,” said Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, a New York-based group that advocates for low-wage workers and the unemployed.As of mid-April, about 26 million Americans had filed unemployment claims in the first five weeks since governments began ordering people to stay home and some businesses to close as a precaution against spreading the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. It's already the worst stretch of job losses in U.S. history. New unemployment data to be released Thursday is expected to push that total even higher.State unemployment benefits are funded by special taxes on employers and paid through state trust funds. Each state sets its own tax rate and benefit payment amounts. When trust funds run low, states can get federal loans that must be repaid with interest. Loans taken out this year would need to be repaid by November 2022, or else the federal government could raise taxes on businesses to recoup the money.A law signed by President Donald Trump last month waived the interest on state unemployment loans through the end of this year. But that's a shorter reprieve than was granted during the Great Recession, when interest was waived from February 2009 through December 2010.The last recession led to the insolvency of unemployment trust funds in 35 states that collectively racked up more than $40 billion of debt to keep paying unemployed workers. It took years for states to repay that.“Unfortunately, many of them got caught in this vicious cycle now, where they spent most of the 11 years of economic growth looking backwards, paying off the prior accrued debt rather than being able to save and invest for this current crisis,” said Jared Walczak, director of state tax policy at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.From the beginning of March through mid-April, state unemployment trust funds have declined by a median of 10%, according to an AP analysis of U.S. Treasury data. But the drop has been far more dramatic in states that were among the first to shut down their economies and among the quickest to pay benefits to the unemployed.Massachusetts, which provides among the most generous unemployment benefits nationally, saw its trust fund cut in half from early March to mid-April, from $1.6 billion to less than $750 million. That marked the largest percentage decline nationally.In a letter to the U.S. labor secretary, Gov. Charlie Baker estimated the state could need to borrow $1.2 billion in May and June to pay unemployment benefits.New York's unemployment trust fund also declined by nearly half during that six-week period, from almost $2.5 billion to less than $1.3 billion. The state has applied for up to $4 billion in federal loans, said New York Department of Labor spokeswoman Deanna Cohen.How much help New York ultimately needs will depend on how many more people seek unemployment benefits and how long they are without work, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.“But it’s in the billions of dollars," he said. “There’s no doubt about that.”At the start of this year, California's trust fund had barely one-fifth of the recommended amount needed to weather a recession, the worst rating among all states. It's trust fund balance fell from $3.1 billion in early March to $1.9 billion in mid-April and has continued to slide.The state could need to start borrowing from the federal government by the beginning of May, said Barry White, a spokesman for the California Employment Development Department.Officials in Connecticut and Texas also said they could need to start borrowing in May to pay unemployment claims.

Unemployment surge pushing state funds toward insolvency

MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custody.

Just after 8a.m. April 25, deputies responded to 5518 County Road 5800 near Cherryvale for report of a burglary. 

The owner reported his shed was broken into and security camera video also showed the suspects enter the victim's home while he was asleep, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.

Deputies identified the suspects as Christopher Whittley and Melinda Mattlock. With the help of police and the Kansas Highway Patrol, deputies located the suspect's vehicle and made an arrest during a traffic stop.

Whittley is being held on requested charges of theft, criminal damage to property and aggravated burglary. Mattlock is being held for aggravated burglary, according to Wilson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588023335773.png" alt="Whittley -Photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Whittley -Photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MONTGOMERY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have two suspects in custody.Just after 8a.m. April 25, deputies responded to 5518 County Road 5800 near Cherryvale for report of a burglary. The owner reported his shed was broken into and security camera video also showed the suspects enter the victim's home while he was asleep, according to Sheriff Ron Wade.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588023261505.png" alt="Matlock-photo Montgomery Co." />
 <figcaption>Matlock-photo Montgomery Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies identified the suspects as Christopher Whittley and Melinda Mattlock. With the help of police and the Kansas Highway Patrol, deputies located the suspect's vehicle and made an arrest during a traffic stop.Whittley is being held on requested charges of theft, criminal damage to property and aggravated burglary. Mattlock is being held for aggravated burglary, according to Wilson.

Sheriff: Kan. homeowner was sleeping during burglary 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire Thursday, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, predicted that by July the country will be “really rocking again.”

Putting a positive face on the latest grim numbers — the U.S. death toll has now surpassed the Vietnam War — Trump delivered his daily upbeat update and Kushner described the administration’s much-criticized response to the pandemic as “a great success story.”

Trump also talked up the good news the day provided: Hopeful results for a possible COVID-19 treatment. But the government announced dismal new economic numbers as the pandemic took hold and shut down much of the country.

The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate in first quarter of the year — a precursor to far grimmer reports that are expected this summer from the severe recession triggered by the pandemic.

The White House has been trying to pivot to a new stage of the crisis, focused on efforts to reopen the nation’s economy state-by-state amid concerns that lifting restrictions too quickly and without sufficient testing and contact tracing will spur a resurgence.

As part of that effort, Trump, who has both threatened to force states to reopen and said decisions will be left to them, said the White House will not be extending its “30 Days to Slow the Spread” guidelines when they expire Thursday.

“They’ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana.

Those guidelines — which were originally supposed to last 15 days and were then extended an additional 30 — encouraged Americans to work from home and avoid restaurants and discretionary travel and advised older Americans and those with serious underlying health conditions to isolate themselves.

Vice President Mike Pence said the guidelines have been incorporated into the new guidance issued by the White House earlier this month that lays out how states can gradually ease restrictions and begin to reopen as the rate of new cases slows.

Edwards, who recently extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2aa854e201d19ecddf18326b926fb19f">currently under fire</a>&nbsp;from Republican lawmakers in his state after he extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15. As he was in Washington, some GOP legislators were trying to rally support to take the extraordinary step of trying to override the governor’s emergency decision-making about the state’s outbreak.

But Trump commended Edwards on the job he’s done after New Orleans became one of the nation’s coronavirus hot spots. “I just wanted to congratulate you,” Trump said.

The White House on Wednesday was also pointing to the prospect of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b894f3b39f6915dcc3cc402438deaf0b">an experimental drug</a>, Remdesivir, which proved effective against the virus in a major new study run by the National Institutes of Health, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.

“It’s highly significant,′ said the usually cautious doctor. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”

The White House and Trump in particular have been eager to give the country positive news as they work to move past the crisis and rebuild the economy, even as the country’s death tally continues to rise. The U.S. has now recorded more than 58,000 deaths from the virus, surpassing the total number of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics" target="_blank">who were killed</a>&nbsp;in the Vietnam War. More than one million people have now tested positive.

Trump said that number has risen so high in large part because of increased U.S. testing.

“That’s a tremendous amount and the reason is because of testing,” he said.

The U.S. has dramatically increased its testing after a slow and rocky start, but many health experts say the country still must do more — as many as 5 million a day — to safely reopen the economy. Otherwise, they warn, cases will skyrocket as Americans return to work, creating another deadly spike.

Trump has dismissed that recommended number, calling it unnecessary and a “media trap.”

Meanwhile Kushner, who has been helping with the effort to get medical supplies to states that need them, suggested in an interview with “Fox and Friends” that the federal government has accomplished its mission.

“We’re on the other side of the medical aspect of this. And I think that we’ve achieved all the different milestones that are needed. So the federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story,” he said.

The administration, he added, is preparing the country to “get as close back to normal as possible as quickly as possible.”

“I think what you’ll see in May, as the states are reopening now, is May will be a transition month,” he said. “And I think you’ll see by June, a lot of the country should be back to normal and the hope is that ... by July the country is really rocking again.”

Fox News Channel will be holding a two-hour “virtual town hall” with Trump on Sunday evening at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588194794796.png" alt="President Trump answered questions during a roundtable with industry executives Wednesday-White House image" />
 <figcaption>President Trump answered questions during a roundtable with industry executives Wednesday-White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday the federal government will not be extending its coronavirus social distancing guidelines once they expire Thursday, and his son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, predicted that by July the country will be “really rocking again.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Putting a positive face on the latest grim numbers — the U.S. death toll has now surpassed the Vietnam War — Trump delivered his daily upbeat update and Kushner described the administration’s much-criticized response to the pandemic as “a great success story.”Trump also talked up the good news the day provided: Hopeful results for a possible COVID-19 treatment. But the government announced dismal new economic numbers as the pandemic took hold and shut down much of the country.The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate in first quarter of the year — a precursor to far grimmer reports that are expected this summer from the severe recession triggered by the pandemic.The White House has been trying to pivot to a new stage of the crisis, focused on efforts to reopen the nation’s economy state-by-state amid concerns that lifting restrictions too quickly and without sufficient testing and contact tracing will spur a resurgence.As part of that effort, Trump, who has both threatened to force states to reopen and said decisions will be left to them, said the White House will not be extending its “30 Days to Slow the Spread” guidelines when they expire Thursday.“They’ll be fading out because now the governors are doing it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he met with John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana.Those guidelines — which were originally supposed to last 15 days and were then extended an additional 30 — encouraged Americans to work from home and avoid restaurants and discretionary travel and advised older Americans and those with serious underlying health conditions to isolate themselves.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Vice President Mike Pence said the guidelines have been incorporated into the new guidance issued by the White House earlier this month that lays out how states can gradually ease restrictions and begin to reopen as the rate of new cases slows.Edwards, who recently extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15, is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2aa854e201d19ecddf18326b926fb19f">currently under fire</a>&nbsp;from Republican lawmakers in his state after he extended Louisiana’s stay-at-home order through May 15. As he was in Washington, some GOP legislators were trying to rally support to take the extraordinary step of trying to override the governor’s emergency decision-making about the state’s outbreak.But Trump commended Edwards on the job he’s done after New Orleans became one of the nation’s coronavirus hot spots. “I just wanted to congratulate you,” Trump said.The White House on Wednesday was also pointing to the prospect of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b894f3b39f6915dcc3cc402438deaf0b">an experimental drug</a>, Remdesivir, which proved effective against the virus in a major new study run by the National Institutes of Health, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31% — 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care.“It’s highly significant,′ said the usually cautious doctor. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”The White House and Trump in particular have been eager to give the country positive news as they work to move past the crisis and rebuild the economy, even as the country’s death tally continues to rise. The U.S. has now recorded more than 58,000 deaths from the virus, surpassing the total number of Americans&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics" target="_blank">who were killed</a>&nbsp;in the Vietnam War. More than one million people have now tested positive.Trump said that number has risen so high in large part because of increased U.S. testing.“That’s a tremendous amount and the reason is because of testing,” he said.The U.S. has dramatically increased its testing after a slow and rocky start, but many health experts say the country still must do more — as many as 5 million a day — to safely reopen the economy. Otherwise, they warn, cases will skyrocket as Americans return to work, creating another deadly spike.Trump has dismissed that recommended number, calling it unnecessary and a “media trap.”Meanwhile Kushner, who has been helping with the effort to get medical supplies to states that need them, suggested in an interview with “Fox and Friends” that the federal government has accomplished its mission.“We’re on the other side of the medical aspect of this. And I think that we’ve achieved all the different milestones that are needed. So the federal government rose to the challenge, and this is a great success story,” he said.The administration, he added, is preparing the country to “get as close back to normal as possible as quickly as possible.”“I think what you’ll see in May, as the states are reopening now, is May will be a transition month,” he said. “And I think you’ll see by June, a lot of the country should be back to normal and the hope is that ... by July the country is really rocking again.”Fox News Channel will be holding a two-hour “virtual town hall” with Trump on Sunday evening at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.___

Federal social distancing guidelines to expire

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Worried relatives are demanding that Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly release some inmates to allow for better social distancing to control the spread of the coronavirus in prisons, the corrections department said Wednesday, as an outbreak at one facility grew to 150 cases.

Seventy-five members of staff at the Lansing Correction Facility have tested positive, amounting to 18% of the prison’s workforce, according to data posted on the Kansas Department of Corrections’ website. Fifteen of them have recovered and returned to work. In addition, 75 inmates are sick, and one of them — an unidentified man serving a sentence for first-degree murder — died over the weekend. The sickened include two inmates who were moved to Lansing from a work-release facility in Wichita after they tested positive.

Two inmates and one staffer at the women’s prison in Topeka also tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Kelly has said repeatedly that efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and could be released early. She said Monday that an announcement would come this week.

Corrections spokeswoman Rebecca Witte said the department has received hundreds of calls from family members and friends inquiring about Kelly’s plan and “pleading the case for their loved one” to be released. Kelly has indicated that the number of inmates subject to early release won’t be large and that it isn’t possible to assess each inmate for eligibility on a case-by-case basis, Witte said.

“We realize that everyone in our system is someone’s sibling, someone’s child someones parent,” Witte said. “And all of those people want their loved ones home with them.”

Prisons nationally have been hit hard by the virus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of vulnerable inmates, contending it would not only prevent harm to vulnerable inmates, but would also reduce prison populations to ensure proper social distancing and reduce transmission of the virus to the remaining inmates.

The department isn’t able to test all inmates, Witte said. Inmates at two of the state’s prisons are making masks for other inmates to wear.

Kelly announced Wednesday that she would release her plan for reopening the state’s economy on Thursday evening. The state of emergency will run out on Friday and her stay-at-home order, which was imposed to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the general population, runs out at midnight on Sunday.

Kansas reported one additional COVID-19-related death Wednesday to bring the state’s total to 125. The state had 3,738 people who have tested positive, up 247 from Tuesday. The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest that people can be infected without feeling sick.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588193586788.png" alt="KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during Wednesday press conference" />
 <figcaption>KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman during Wednesday press conference</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Worried relatives are demanding that Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly release some inmates to allow for better social distancing to control the spread of the coronavirus in prisons, the corrections department said Wednesday, as an outbreak at one facility grew to 150 cases.Seventy-five members of staff at the Lansing Correction Facility have tested positive, amounting to 18% of the prison’s workforce, according to data posted on the Kansas Department of Corrections’ website. Fifteen of them have recovered and returned to work. In addition, 75 inmates are sick, and one of them — an unidentified man serving a sentence for first-degree murder — died over the weekend. The sickened include two inmates who were moved to Lansing from a work-release facility in Wichita after they tested positive.Two inmates and one staffer at the women’s prison in Topeka also tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588193753416.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly responded to questions about inmates during her press conference on Wednesday." />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly responded to questions about inmates during her press conference on Wednesday.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly has said repeatedly that efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and could be released early. She said Monday that an announcement would come this week.Corrections spokeswoman Rebecca Witte said the department has received hundreds of calls from family members and friends inquiring about Kelly’s plan and “pleading the case for their loved one” to be released. Kelly has indicated that the number of inmates subject to early release won’t be large and that it isn’t possible to assess each inmate for eligibility on a case-by-case basis, Witte said.“We realize that everyone in our system is someone’s sibling, someone’s child someones parent,” Witte said. “And all of those people want their loved ones home with them.”Prisons nationally have been hit hard by the virus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has filed a lawsuit seeking the release of vulnerable inmates, contending it would not only prevent harm to vulnerable inmates, but would also reduce prison populations to ensure proper social distancing and reduce transmission of the virus to the remaining inmates.The department isn’t able to test all inmates, Witte said. Inmates at two of the state’s prisons are making masks for other inmates to wear.Kelly announced Wednesday that she would release her plan for reopening the state’s economy on Thursday evening. The state of emergency will run out on Friday and her stay-at-home order, which was imposed to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the general population, runs out at midnight on Sunday.Kansas reported one additional COVID-19-related death Wednesday to bring the state’s total to 125. The state had 3,738 people who have tested positive, up 247 from Tuesday. The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest that people can be infected without feeling sick.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, or death.

Prison infections up with early release announcement coming

A federal appeals court says it is unconstitutional for Kansas to require proof of citizenship to vote.

By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-29/federal-appeals-court-says-kansas-cant-demand-proof-of-citizenship-from-voters">Kansas News Service</a>

TOPEKA — The Kansas law requiring people to prove they
 are U.S. citizens before registering to vote is unconstitutional, a 
federal court has ruled.

<a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/51/85/da9ad0de4c2a924a7f6ba7cea65c/10thcircuit.Ruling.042920.pdf" target="_blank">The decision</a> handed down Wednesday by the 10th
 Circuit Court of Appeals means that no proof of citizenship is needed 
ahead of this year’s August primary and November general elections.

It
 stymies an effort by the state to reinstate the law, which a lower 
court overturned in 2016 in response to a challenge filed by the 
American Civil Liberties Union.

“This decision safeguarding the 
rights of over 30,000 Kansas voters — including our clients — to 
participate in the 2020 upcoming elections free from unconstitutional 
burdens is a victory for democracy in Kansas,” ACLU of Kansas Executive 
Director Nadine Johnson.

Kansas lawmakers passed the 
proof-of-citizenship law in 2013 at the urging of former Kansas 
Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who at the time was building a national 
reputation for his efforts to combat what he claimed was pervasive voter
 fraud.

Later, as the leader of President Donald Trump’s 
now-defunct voter fraud commission, Kobach repeated the president’s 
unsubstantiated claim that millions of undocumented immigrants illegally
 voted in the 2016 election.

The appeals court said in its ruling 
that voter fraud isn’t a significant problem in Kansas. Between 1999 and
 2013, a total of 39 non-citizens living in Kansas registered to vote, 
mostly due to administrative mistakes. At the time, that was 0.002% of 
the state’s more than 1.76 million registered voters.

The panel 
also said that both Kobach and his successor, current Kansas Secretary 
of State Scott Schwab, “failed to show that a substantial number of 
non-citizens registered to vote.”

The relatively few cases of 
fraud, the justices said, don’t justify the burden the law imposed on 
the 31,089 voters who had their registration applications canceled or 
suspended between 2013 and 2016.

Schwab, a Republican elected in 
2018, issued a one-sentence statement Wednesday, saying his office was 
“thoroughly reviewing” the ruling and conferring with Kansas Attorney 
General Derek Schmidt on “how to move forward.”

Kobach, who is running for the GOP nomination for a U.S. Senate seat, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dale
 Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, urged Schwab to “turn
 the page on Kris Kobach’s sorry legacy of voter suppression” by not 
appealing the ruling.

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent 
for the Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public 
Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social 
determinants of health and their connection to public policy. You can 
reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks or email jim@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588187805638.png" alt="Kris Kobach urged for the passage of the law several years ago when he was Kansas' secretary of state. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>Kris Kobach urged for the passage of the law several years ago when he was Kansas' secretary of state. Scott Canon / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A federal appeals court says it is unconstitutional for Kansas to require proof of citizenship to vote.</h2>By JIM MCLEAN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-29/federal-appeals-court-says-kansas-cant-demand-proof-of-citizenship-from-voters">Kansas News Service</a>TOPEKA — The Kansas law requiring people to prove they
 are U.S. citizens before registering to vote is unconstitutional, a 
federal court has ruled.<a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/51/85/da9ad0de4c2a924a7f6ba7cea65c/10thcircuit.Ruling.042920.pdf" target="_blank">The decision</a> handed down Wednesday by the 10th
 Circuit Court of Appeals means that no proof of citizenship is needed 
ahead of this year’s August primary and November general elections.It
 stymies an effort by the state to reinstate the law, which a lower 
court overturned in 2016 in response to a challenge filed by the 
American Civil Liberties Union.“This decision safeguarding the 
rights of over 30,000 Kansas voters — including our clients — to 
participate in the 2020 upcoming elections free from unconstitutional 
burdens is a victory for democracy in Kansas,” ACLU of Kansas Executive 
Director Nadine Johnson.Kansas lawmakers passed the 
proof-of-citizenship law in 2013 at the urging of former Kansas 
Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who at the time was building a national 
reputation for his efforts to combat what he claimed was pervasive voter
 fraud.Later, as the leader of President Donald Trump’s 
now-defunct voter fraud commission, Kobach repeated the president’s 
unsubstantiated claim that millions of undocumented immigrants illegally
 voted in the 2016 election.The appeals court said in its ruling 
that voter fraud isn’t a significant problem in Kansas. Between 1999 and
 2013, a total of 39 non-citizens living in Kansas registered to vote, 
mostly due to administrative mistakes. At the time, that was 0.002% of 
the state’s more than 1.76 million registered voters.The panel 
also said that both Kobach and his successor, current Kansas Secretary 
of State Scott Schwab, “failed to show that a substantial number of 
non-citizens registered to vote.”The relatively few cases of 
fraud, the justices said, don’t justify the burden the law imposed on 
the 31,089 voters who had their registration applications canceled or 
suspended between 2013 and 2016.Schwab, a Republican elected in 
2018, issued a one-sentence statement Wednesday, saying his office was 
“thoroughly reviewing” the ruling and conferring with Kansas Attorney 
General Derek Schmidt on “how to move forward.”Kobach, who is running for the GOP nomination for a U.S. Senate seat, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.Dale
 Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, urged Schwab to “turn
 the page on Kris Kobach’s sorry legacy of voter suppression” by not 
appealing the ruling.Jim McLean is the senior correspondent 
for the Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public 
Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social 
determinants of health and their connection to public policy. You can 
reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks or email jim@kcur.org.

Federal court: Kan. can't demand proof of citizenship from voters

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly opened her Wednesday news briefing saying she will a sign new emergency declaration on Thursday that will last through May 13.

The emergency disaster declaration was set to expire May 1.

The State Finance Council can then extend it for 30 days and the Kansas legislature would have to extend it beyond that, according to the governor. &nbsp;The stay-at-home order will end Sunday.

The governor will reveal her plans for re-opening the state at 6:30p.m. Thursday.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 247 to a total of 3738, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 125.

TOPEKA —Governor Laura Kelly opened her Wednesday news briefing saying she will a sign new emergency declaration on Thursday that will last through May 13.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F239470833798464%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>The emergency disaster declaration was set to expire May 1.The State Finance Council can then extend it for 30 days and the Kansas legislature would have to extend it beyond that, according to the governor. &nbsp;The stay-at-home order will end Sunday.The governor will reveal her plans for re-opening the state at 6:30p.m. Thursday.The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 247 to a total of 3738, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 125.

🎥 Kan. governor will sign new emergency declaration

SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal traffic crash and have made an arrest.

Just before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an injury accident at Kellogg and Rock Road, according to officer Charley Davidson. 

Upon arrival, officers located 70-year-old Donald Hall of Wichita in critical condition and pinned inside of his vehicle.&nbsp; 

Wichita Fire Department crews removed Hall from the vehicle &nbsp;and he was pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson. &nbsp;Hall was a longtime Wichita radio host and Wichita State University basketball announcer, according to Hall’s employer, Entercom Communications.

The investigation revealed a 2000 Lincoln driven by Ray Watkins, 43, Wichita, was southbound on Rock Road and collided with an eastbound 2012 Lincoln that had exited onto Kellogg Drive to turn north on Rock Road.

It appears at this time that Watkins ran a red light before colliding with Hall, according to Davidson.

Based on evidence found in Watkins’ vehicle and on his person, alcohol, and drugs are believed to be a factor in the accident. &nbsp;

Watkins was contacted at the scene with minor injuries and was arrested without incident on requested charges of 2nd-degree murder, according to Davidson.

Watkins has been previously arrested and convicted of a charge of aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

“This is a very sad and tragic case,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “Don was a big part of the Wichita community for many years. He will be missed.&nbsp; WPD continues its thoughts and prayers for the Hall family and all those affected by this unfortunate incident.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588158119316.png" alt="First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders on the scene of the fatal crash -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal traffic crash and have made an arrest.Just before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to an injury accident at Kellogg and Rock Road, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, officers located 70-year-old Donald Hall of Wichita in critical condition and pinned inside of his vehicle.&nbsp; Wichita Fire Department crews removed Hall from the vehicle &nbsp;and he was pronounced deceased on the scene, according to Davidson. &nbsp;Hall was a longtime Wichita radio host and Wichita State University basketball announcer, according to Hall’s employer, Entercom Communications.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588182421819.png" alt="Watkins photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Watkins photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed a 2000 Lincoln driven by Ray Watkins, 43, Wichita, was southbound on Rock Road and collided with an eastbound 2012 Lincoln that had exited onto Kellogg Drive to turn north on Rock Road.It appears at this time that Watkins ran a red light before colliding with Hall, according to Davidson.Based on evidence found in Watkins’ vehicle and on his person, alcohol, and drugs are believed to be a factor in the accident. &nbsp;Watkins was contacted at the scene with minor injuries and was arrested without incident on requested charges of 2nd-degree murder, according to Davidson.Watkins has been previously arrested and convicted of a charge of aggravated robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.“This is a very sad and tragic case,” Chief Gordon Ramsay said.&nbsp; “Don was a big part of the Wichita community for many years. He will be missed.&nbsp; WPD continues its thoughts and prayers for the Hall family and all those affected by this unfortunate incident.”

Police: Driver arrested for murder after Kansas crash

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Wednesday—in consultation with Kansas City Health Department Director Rex Archer, M.D.—announced Kansas City’s phased reopening plan.

Beginning May 15, all Kansas City businesses will be able to open, subject to a “10/10/10 Rule.”

The 10/10/10 Rule specifies that all non-essential Kansas City businesses must limit the number of customers allowed in their establishment at one time to no more than&nbsp;10 percent of building occupancy&nbsp;or&nbsp;10 people&nbsp;(whichever is larger, and record the names, contact information, and approximate entry/exit time of all customers who are on premises and seated for more than&nbsp;10 minutes. Establishments such as grocery stores, medical and dental offices, pharmacies, and other essential businesses are not subject to the 10/10/10 Rule.

Gyms, museums, bars and in-person restaurant dining will open with additional Health Department guidance on May 15 to best protect workers and patrons.

“More important than moving quickly is moving carefully and responsibly, and the steps we’re taking today allow our businesses to return to productivity while keeping their workers and customers safe,” said Mayor Lucas.

Based on public health guidance, non-essential businesses that are not open to the public will be permitted to open one week from today, subject to social distancing guidance. Religious gatherings – including weddings and funerals – of 10 people inside and 50 people outside can resume on the same date, provided social distancing is maintained and event organizers record the names and contact information of all attendees. In the interest of public health and subject to City Order, any Kansas Citian who does not yet feel safe returning to a non-essential workplace cannot be compelled by their employer to return prior to May 15.

<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus-covid-19-kcmo-information-and-response/reopen">Read answers to FAQ</a>.

Kansas Citians interested in signing up for text updates from the City of Kansas City regarding COVID-19 should text COVIDKC to 888-777. For more information, visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/?splash=https%3a%2f%2fcdc.gov%2fcoronavirus&amp;____isexternal=true" target="_blank">CDC website</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus">kcmo.gov/coronavirus</a>. You may also call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services hotline at 877-435-8411 for questions regarding COVID-19 in Missouri

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588182496457.png" alt="Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas removes his face mask just before addressing the media at noon Wednesday." />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas removes his face mask just before addressing the media at noon Wednesday.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Wednesday—in consultation with Kansas City Health Department Director Rex Archer, M.D.—announced Kansas City’s phased reopening plan.Beginning May 15, all Kansas City businesses will be able to open, subject to a “10/10/10 Rule.”<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fquinton.lucas%2Fvideos%2F1151259411893077%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><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588183540198.png" alt="Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>The 10/10/10 Rule specifies that all non-essential Kansas City businesses must limit the number of customers allowed in their establishment at one time to no more than&nbsp;10 percent of building occupancy&nbsp;or&nbsp;10 people&nbsp;(whichever is larger, and record the names, contact information, and approximate entry/exit time of all customers who are on premises and seated for more than&nbsp;10 minutes. Establishments such as grocery stores, medical and dental offices, pharmacies, and other essential businesses are not subject to the 10/10/10 Rule.Gyms, museums, bars and in-person restaurant dining will open with additional Health Department guidance on May 15 to best protect workers and patrons.“More important than moving quickly is moving carefully and responsibly, and the steps we’re taking today allow our businesses to return to productivity while keeping their workers and customers safe,” said Mayor Lucas.Based on public health guidance, non-essential businesses that are not open to the public will be permitted to open one week from today, subject to social distancing guidance. Religious gatherings – including weddings and funerals – of 10 people inside and 50 people outside can resume on the same date, provided social distancing is maintained and event organizers record the names and contact information of all attendees. In the interest of public health and subject to City Order, any Kansas Citian who does not yet feel safe returning to a non-essential workplace cannot be compelled by their employer to return prior to May 15.<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus-covid-19-kcmo-information-and-response/reopen">Read answers to FAQ</a>.Kansas Citians interested in signing up for text updates from the City of Kansas City regarding COVID-19 should text COVIDKC to 888-777. For more information, visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/?splash=https%3a%2f%2fcdc.gov%2fcoronavirus&amp;____isexternal=true" target="_blank">CDC website</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departments/health/coronavirus">kcmo.gov/coronavirus</a>. You may also call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services hotline at 877-435-8411 for questions regarding COVID-19 in Missouri

🎥 Kansas City announces plan for reopening city

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 247 to a total of 3738, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.

<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 247 to a total of 3738, the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.Coronavirus deaths were reported at 125<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/2020/4/1588179482243.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

By
NICK GOSNELL, Hutch Post


HUTCHINSON — 
To say Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti is 
frustrated by the fact that four reported positive COVID-19 cases from 
Tuesday are as the result of one person who was supposed to voluntarily 
quarantine not doing so is the apex of understatement.

"We're 
still waiting on a few tests associated potentially with this vector," 
Baldetti said. "I'm more concerned with the actions of non-compliance 
and adherence by this particular individual and the ramifications of 
those actions than I am the third-tier downstream spread potentially."

Reno
 County District Attorney Keith Schroeder responded to the hypothetical 
of such a person infecting someone who was eventually hospitalized or 
worse. Statutes written for things like HIV spread don't really apply 
here.

"The normal statute that deals with exposing another to a 
life-threatening communicable disease wouldn't apply in this situation,"
 Schroeder said. "That only applies to transmission by either sex or 
donation of blood or by hypodermic syringes. We'll have to look at the 
facts to determine exactly what we could do."

The concern is that even a few acts of non-compliance could set the county way back in its reopening timeline.

"At
 the doorstep of a potential reopening plan, whether that be a 
state-driven plan or a locally enforced plan, regardless, the success of
 any plan that is put forth is predicated on each and every individual,"
 Baldetti said. "Whether it's a business owner, an employee, a 
proprietor, a lay individual, each one of us, each one of 61,000 and 
some odd Reno County constituents has a part to play."

The county had 72 tests outstanding in total as of Wednesday morning.

By
NICK GOSNELL, Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON — 
To say Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti is 
frustrated by the fact that four reported positive COVID-19 cases from 
Tuesday are as the result of one person who was supposed to voluntarily 
quarantine not doing so is the apex of understatement."We're 
still waiting on a few tests associated potentially with this vector," 
Baldetti said. "I'm more concerned with the actions of non-compliance 
and adherence by this particular individual and the ramifications of 
those actions than I am the third-tier downstream spread potentially."Reno
 County District Attorney Keith Schroeder responded to the hypothetical 
of such a person infecting someone who was eventually hospitalized or 
worse. Statutes written for things like HIV spread don't really apply 
here."The normal statute that deals with exposing another to a 
life-threatening communicable disease wouldn't apply in this situation,"
 Schroeder said. "That only applies to transmission by either sex or 
donation of blood or by hypodermic syringes. We'll have to look at the 
facts to determine exactly what we could do."The concern is that even a few acts of non-compliance could set the county way back in its reopening timeline."At
 the doorstep of a potential reopening plan, whether that be a 
state-driven plan or a locally enforced plan, regardless, the success of
 any plan that is put forth is predicated on each and every individual,"
 Baldetti said. "Whether it's a business owner, an employee, a 
proprietor, a lay individual, each one of us, each one of 61,000 and 
some odd Reno County constituents has a part to play."The county had 72 tests outstanding in total as of Wednesday morning.

Reno Co.: One 'non-compliant' resident infected four others

As the neighboring states of 
Missouri and Colorado begin to lift restrictions, the governor of Kansas
 is making plans to do the same. But it's unlikely to be business as 
usual with the coronavirus still sticking around.

By ERICA HUNZINGER &amp; ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-28/what-kansas-might-do-to-reopen-after-the-coronavirus-shut-it-down">Kansas News Service</a>

After six weeks of asking Kansans to stay at home, Gov. Laura Kelly 
is expected to announce Thursday that the state will start to reopen for
 businesses and some public gatherings on May 4.

Even if people 
can travel at-will and previously non-essential retailers can open their
 doors, the governor likely will leave some restrictions in place and 
maybe enact new rules.

Other states that have started reviving 
their economies amid record unemployment claims will stick with social 
distancing measures. And Kelly said earlier this week that control over 
stay-at-home orders will return to the county level to keep COVID-19 
clusters from growing.

“I’m confident that our … public health 
officials are keeping a close eye on what’s going on in their 
communities,” Kelly said this week, “and that as we lift up the 
statewide (order, they will superimpose other restrictions if they feel
 that’s necessary to protect their folks.”

The ability to test for
 the virus and trace the path of the virus — two things both Kelly and 
the head of the state health department head said are needed to reopen —
 remain sorely lacking. Kansas, at times, has <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-04-20/kansas-ranks-lowest-in-coronavirus-testing-which-could-make-it-harder-to-reopen-economy" target="_blank">ranked last in the U.S.</a> for testing during the pandemic.

“If
 you are only testing a small portion of the people who may have the 
virus, then you don’t really know what’s going on with the virus,” said 
Josh Michaud, an infectious disease expert with the Kaiser Family 
Foundation.

About one in 1,000 Kansans have tested positive for 
COVID-19 so far. While the rates of infection statewide seem to be 
slowing in the most populous counties of Wyandotte, Johnson and 
Sedgwick, the rate of transmission in western Kansas has dramatically 
spiked in three counties with meatpacking plants. Ford and Seward 
counties are home to just a fraction of the population you’d see in 
Kansas’ suburban and urban counties, but the two rank in the top 5 
counties for the raw number of confirmed coronavirus cases.

But 
Kelly and state health secretary Lee Norman said this week that 
hospitalizations and deaths are going down. They also said the metrics 
are lining up to the point that they’re “comfortable” with starting to 
reopen the state. Plus, the testing rate in Kansas has increased from 
4,765 during the first full week of April to 7,523 last week.

“We 
will, without question, continue to see an uptick in the total number of
 cases as we do more testing,” Norman said. “That’s going to be a 
challenge in how to communicate that to people, because it looks like 
things are getting worse than the case count, but it’s not in reality.”

Kansas officials haven’t 
provided many details yet on what the recovery plan will look like for 
businesses or residents, though a filing <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/40/75/8e866c7542e5ba19527ae1d9be66/042520-churchsettlement.pdf" target="_blank">in a federal case over the weekend</a> noted that the new restrictions “will be significantly less restrictive than those currently in place.”

The National Governors Association provided <a href="http://nga.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NGA-Report.pdf" target="_blank">a list </a>of 10 steps that state leaders should take. Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi already have reopened.

Closer to Kansas, Missouri will lift its statewide stay-at-home order on May 4, but things will resume in <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-reopen-businesses-next-week-local-rules-still-apply#stream/0" target="_blank">“gradual” and “strategic”</a> phases. The <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/d2/cd/bf4334024839828f9e835141f121/missouri.Reopen.Phase1.pdf" target="_blank">initial stage</a>
 lets businesses open if the 6-foot social distancing recommendation can
 be followed “in most cases,” as well as taking other measures like 
occupancy limits and split shifts to protect employees and patrons. 
Missouri also will not restrict the number of people who can gather as 
long as “necessary precautions” and social distancing happen.

On Friday, <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/coronavirus-covid-19-update-iowa-gov-kim-reynolds-daily-briefing-shutdown-reopening-state-plan/3031798001/" target="_blank">Iowa will let businesses</a>
 in nearly 80% of its counties start operating again. The counties must 
have fewer or no new cases of COVID-19 over two weeks. Restaurants, 
gyms, stores and libraries can let in 50% of usual capacity.

There
 will be no restrictions on religious gatherings in Iowa as long as they
 follow social distancing and health guidelines, but events are limited 
to 10 or fewer people. Kelly similarly had restricted religious 
services, an executive order that was upheld by the state Supreme Court.
 But she was sued in federal court by two Baptist churches in April, <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-gov-kelly-strikes-court-deal-churches-hints-easing-coronavirus-shutdown" target="_blank">and recently compromised </a>by promising a new executive order allowing large gatherings.

Colorado will phase things more slowly under a <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2020/04/26/as-colorado-stay-at-home-order-expires-polis-issues-new-rules-for-what-can-open-what-cant/" target="_blank">“Safer At Home”</a>
 doctrine, which still doesn’t allow more than 10 people to gather at a 
time. Colorado started allowing curbside pickups at retail stores 
earlier this week, and will let in-person shopping starting Friday. Up 
to half of an organization’s staff can work together starting May 4, but
 businesses must screen workers for symptoms if they have more than 50 
employees at any location.

Colorado counties can extend 
stay-at-home orders, which Kelly said will happen in Kansas, too. The 
stay-at-home order in Kansas City, Missouri, lasts through May 15. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-27/faq-when-and-how-cities-and-counties-in-missouri-and-kansas-will-reopen" target="_blank">Johnson and Wyandotte counties</a> are expected to follow Kansas’ apparent lead and lift them on May 4.

<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/sedgwick-county-ready-reopen-business-and-health-leaders-disagree" target="_blank">Sedgwick County leaders</a> are debating what’s best for Wichita — the state’s biggest city — and its surrounding communities.

Wichita
 Regional Chamber of Commerce board chair Junetta Everett wrote to the 
county commissioners, saying they were “encouraged by the data” and that
 decisions “can be smart and safe while still addressing the critical 
challenges businesses and workers are facing right now.”

But the 
Medical Society of Sedgwick County wants commissioners to extend the 
stay-at-home order locally through at least May 10 because the county 
hasn’t “demonstrated a robust program of testing” and isn’t on the 
downslope of cases.

“Though our cases are not increasing 
exponentially,” the panel wrote to the commission, “it is unknown 
whether the peak has occurred in Sedgwick County.”

Widespread testing for the 
coronavirus is a major component of reopening guidance from the White 
House and epidemiologists across the country and the world.

Kelly 
said testing “is the only way that we can safely reopen our economy.” 
Kansas State University announced this week it would test any student or
 staff or faculty member with symptoms or exposure to someone with a 
confirmed case of the virus. Norman said that Kansas has the ability to 
test everyone who is symptomatic.

The World Health Organization 
recommends testing enough people until 10% or fewer of tests are 
positive. Twelve percent of Kansas’ coronavirus tests are coming back 
positive, a figure that’s slowly increased during April, according to 
data from <a href="https://covidtracking.com/" target="_blank">The COVID Tracking Project</a>. (Kansas is lower than the 19% positive national test rate.)

A new study from <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/27/coronavirus-many-states-short-of-testing-levels-needed-for-safe-reopening/" target="_blank">Harvard researchers</a>
 says Kansas needs to test 265 more people daily by Friday in order to 
have solid data on the spread of COVID-19. The Harvard researchers said 
their testing goals were shaped in part by what might be possible, 
rather than ideal.

Without tests, Michaud with the Kaiser Family 
Foundation said, Kansas could be blindsided by another increase in cases
 and forced to restart dramatic efforts to mitigate the impact of the 
virus.

“You might not even realize that there’s an increase going 
on until it’s very far along, ” he said. “We’d be back to square one.”

Experts,
 including Norman at one time, have been interested in tracking 
antibodies — essentially how many people have been infected. The New 
York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/26/health/can-antibody-tests-help-end-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html" target="_blank">reported</a>
 antibody tests can be inaccurate and it’s not clear whether having the 
antibodies means you’re immune to the coronavirus. The World Health 
Organization has advised against relying on antibody tests to make 
reopening decisions, and <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/qa-on-covid-19-antibody-tests/" target="_blank">the tests </a>aren’t widely available.

A
 more helpful measure is contact tracing. That entails teams of people 
identifying new cases, finding who those testing positive have been in 
contact with. Then, the system would put people in isolation who either 
contracted the virus or were exposed to it.

Norman said this week 
that people are being trained to do contact tracing in Lyon, Ford, 
Finney and Seward counties. The last three are the epicenter of <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/update-coronavirus-clusters-grow-rapidly-three-western-kansas-meatpacking-counties" target="_blank">both the Kansas beef-processing industry and major COVID-19 clusters</a>. The state said more than 350 cases have been confirmed in meatpacking facilities.

However, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/28/846736937/we-asked-all-50-states-about-their-contact-tracing-capacity-heres-what-we-learne" target="_blank">an analysis by NPR</a>
 shows Kansas currently doesn’t have enough people to meet the need for 
contact tracing. Kansas is hoping to deploy 400 people overall — 
including some volunteers. That would equal 14 contact tracers per 
100,000 residents, though public health recommendations call ideally for
 30 per 100,000 people.

Crystal Watson of Johns Hopkins Center for
 Health Security told NPR that states “shouldn’t undershoot” contact 
tracing, noting that putting money toward the practice will help control
 COVID-19 and reduce further economic impacts.

Kansas News Service health reporter Celia Llopis-Jepsen and KMUW reporter Nadya Faulx contributed to this report.Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City.&nbsp;Erica Hunzinger is the news editor of the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/ehunzinger" target="_blank">@ehunzinger</a> or email her at erica@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588175688546.png" alt="A health care worker at a drive-through coronavirus testing center in April in Garden City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>A health care worker at a drive-through coronavirus testing center in April in Garden City. Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>As the neighboring states of 
Missouri and Colorado begin to lift restrictions, the governor of Kansas
 is making plans to do the same. But it's unlikely to be business as 
usual with the coronavirus still sticking around.</h2>By ERICA HUNZINGER &amp; ALEX SMITH <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-28/what-kansas-might-do-to-reopen-after-the-coronavirus-shut-it-down">Kansas News Service</a>After six weeks of asking Kansans to stay at home, Gov. Laura Kelly 
is expected to announce Thursday that the state will start to reopen for
 businesses and some public gatherings on May 4.Even if people 
can travel at-will and previously non-essential retailers can open their
 doors, the governor likely will leave some restrictions in place and 
maybe enact new rules.Other states that have started reviving 
their economies amid record unemployment claims will stick with social 
distancing measures. And Kelly said earlier this week that control over 
stay-at-home orders will return to the county level to keep COVID-19 
clusters from growing.“I’m confident that our … public health 
officials are keeping a close eye on what’s going on in their 
communities,” Kelly said this week, “and that as we lift up the 
statewide (order, they will superimpose other restrictions if they feel
 that’s necessary to protect their folks.”The ability to test for
 the virus and trace the path of the virus — two things both Kelly and 
the head of the state health department head said are needed to reopen —
 remain sorely lacking. Kansas, at times, has <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2020-04-20/kansas-ranks-lowest-in-coronavirus-testing-which-could-make-it-harder-to-reopen-economy" target="_blank">ranked last in the U.S.</a> for testing during the pandemic. “If
 you are only testing a small portion of the people who may have the 
virus, then you don’t really know what’s going on with the virus,” said 
Josh Michaud, an infectious disease expert with the Kaiser Family 
Foundation.About one in 1,000 Kansans have tested positive for 
COVID-19 so far. While the rates of infection statewide seem to be 
slowing in the most populous counties of Wyandotte, Johnson and 
Sedgwick, the rate of transmission in western Kansas has dramatically 
spiked in three counties with meatpacking plants. Ford and Seward 
counties are home to just a fraction of the population you’d see in 
Kansas’ suburban and urban counties, but the two rank in the top 5 
counties for the raw number of confirmed coronavirus cases.But 
Kelly and state health secretary Lee Norman said this week that 
hospitalizations and deaths are going down. They also said the metrics 
are lining up to the point that they’re “comfortable” with starting to 
reopen the state. Plus, the testing rate in Kansas has increased from 
4,765 during the first full week of April to 7,523 last week.“We 
will, without question, continue to see an uptick in the total number of
 cases as we do more testing,” Norman said. “That’s going to be a 
challenge in how to communicate that to people, because it looks like 
things are getting worse than the case count, but it’s not in reality.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588175773427.png" alt="Most businesses will be able to reopen once Kansas lifts the stay-at-home restriction, though it’s not clear whether concert venues like The Bottleneck in Lawrence will be included. Erica Hunzinger photo" />
 <figcaption>Most businesses will be able to reopen once Kansas lifts the stay-at-home restriction, though it’s not clear whether concert venues like The Bottleneck in Lawrence will be included. Erica Hunzinger photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The view from other states</h2>Kansas officials haven’t 
provided many details yet on what the recovery plan will look like for 
businesses or residents, though a filing <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/40/75/8e866c7542e5ba19527ae1d9be66/042520-churchsettlement.pdf" target="_blank">in a federal case over the weekend</a> noted that the new restrictions “will be significantly less restrictive than those currently in place.”The National Governors Association provided <a href="http://nga.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NGA-Report.pdf" target="_blank">a list </a>of 10 steps that state leaders should take. Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi already have reopened.Closer to Kansas, Missouri will lift its statewide stay-at-home order on May 4, but things will resume in <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/missouri-reopen-businesses-next-week-local-rules-still-apply#stream/0" target="_blank">“gradual” and “strategic”</a> phases. The <a href="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/d2/cd/bf4334024839828f9e835141f121/missouri.Reopen.Phase1.pdf" target="_blank">initial stage</a>
 lets businesses open if the 6-foot social distancing recommendation can
 be followed “in most cases,” as well as taking other measures like 
occupancy limits and split shifts to protect employees and patrons. 
Missouri also will not restrict the number of people who can gather as 
long as “necessary precautions” and social distancing happen.On Friday, <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/health/2020/04/27/coronavirus-covid-19-update-iowa-gov-kim-reynolds-daily-briefing-shutdown-reopening-state-plan/3031798001/" target="_blank">Iowa will let businesses</a>
 in nearly 80% of its counties start operating again. The counties must 
have fewer or no new cases of COVID-19 over two weeks. Restaurants, 
gyms, stores and libraries can let in 50% of usual capacity.There
 will be no restrictions on religious gatherings in Iowa as long as they
 follow social distancing and health guidelines, but events are limited 
to 10 or fewer people. Kelly similarly had restricted religious 
services, an executive order that was upheld by the state Supreme Court.
 But she was sued in federal court by two Baptist churches in April, <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/kansas-gov-kelly-strikes-court-deal-churches-hints-easing-coronavirus-shutdown" target="_blank">and recently compromised </a>by promising a new executive order allowing large gatherings.Colorado will phase things more slowly under a <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2020/04/26/as-colorado-stay-at-home-order-expires-polis-issues-new-rules-for-what-can-open-what-cant/" target="_blank">“Safer At Home”</a>
 doctrine, which still doesn’t allow more than 10 people to gather at a 
time. Colorado started allowing curbside pickups at retail stores 
earlier this week, and will let in-person shopping starting Friday. Up 
to half of an organization’s staff can work together starting May 4, but
 businesses must screen workers for symptoms if they have more than 50 
employees at any location.Colorado counties can extend 
stay-at-home orders, which Kelly said will happen in Kansas, too. The 
stay-at-home order in Kansas City, Missouri, lasts through May 15. <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-04-27/faq-when-and-how-cities-and-counties-in-missouri-and-kansas-will-reopen" target="_blank">Johnson and Wyandotte counties</a> are expected to follow Kansas’ apparent lead and lift them on May 4.<a href="https://www.kmuw.org/post/sedgwick-county-ready-reopen-business-and-health-leaders-disagree" target="_blank">Sedgwick County leaders</a> are debating what’s best for Wichita — the state’s biggest city — and its surrounding communities.Wichita
 Regional Chamber of Commerce board chair Junetta Everett wrote to the 
county commissioners, saying they were “encouraged by the data” and that
 decisions “can be smart and safe while still addressing the critical 
challenges businesses and workers are facing right now.”But the 
Medical Society of Sedgwick County wants commissioners to extend the 
stay-at-home order locally through at least May 10 because the county 
hasn’t “demonstrated a robust program of testing” and isn’t on the 
downslope of cases.“Though our cases are not increasing 
exponentially,” the panel wrote to the commission, “it is unknown 
whether the peak has occurred in Sedgwick County.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588175813028.png" alt="Kansas officials say anyone who has symptoms can be tested.&nbsp;Nomin Ujiyediin photo" />
 <figcaption>Kansas officials say anyone who has symptoms can be tested.&nbsp;Nomin Ujiyediin photo</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Testing and tracing</h2>Widespread testing for the 
coronavirus is a major component of reopening guidance from the White 
House and epidemiologists across the country and the world.Kelly 
said testing “is the only way that we can safely reopen our economy.” 
Kansas State University announced this week it would test any student or
 staff or faculty member with symptoms or exposure to someone with a 
confirmed case of the virus. Norman said that Kansas has the ability to 
test everyone who is symptomatic.The World Health Organization 
recommends testing enough people until 10% or fewer of tests are 
positive. Twelve percent of Kansas’ coronavirus tests are coming back 
positive, a figure that’s slowly increased during April, according to 
data from <a href="https://covidtracking.com/" target="_blank">The COVID Tracking Project</a>. (Kansas is lower than the 19% positive national test rate.)A new study from <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/27/coronavirus-many-states-short-of-testing-levels-needed-for-safe-reopening/" target="_blank">Harvard researchers</a>
 says Kansas needs to test 265 more people daily by Friday in order to 
have solid data on the spread of COVID-19. The Harvard researchers said 
their testing goals were shaped in part by what might be possible, 
rather than ideal.Without tests, Michaud with the Kaiser Family 
Foundation said, Kansas could be blindsided by another increase in cases
 and forced to restart dramatic efforts to mitigate the impact of the 
virus.“You might not even realize that there’s an increase going 
on until it’s very far along, ” he said. “We’d be back to square one.”Experts,
 including Norman at one time, have been interested in tracking 
antibodies — essentially how many people have been infected. The New 
York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/26/health/can-antibody-tests-help-end-the-coronavirus-pandemic.html" target="_blank">reported</a>
 antibody tests can be inaccurate and it’s not clear whether having the 
antibodies means you’re immune to the coronavirus. The World Health 
Organization has advised against relying on antibody tests to make 
reopening decisions, and <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2020/04/qa-on-covid-19-antibody-tests/" target="_blank">the tests </a>aren’t widely available.A
 more helpful measure is contact tracing. That entails teams of people 
identifying new cases, finding who those testing positive have been in 
contact with. Then, the system would put people in isolation who either 
contracted the virus or were exposed to it.Norman said this week 
that people are being trained to do contact tracing in Lyon, Ford, 
Finney and Seward counties. The last three are the epicenter of <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/update-coronavirus-clusters-grow-rapidly-three-western-kansas-meatpacking-counties" target="_blank">both the Kansas beef-processing industry and major COVID-19 clusters</a>. The state said more than 350 cases have been confirmed in meatpacking facilities.However, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/28/846736937/we-asked-all-50-states-about-their-contact-tracing-capacity-heres-what-we-learne" target="_blank">an analysis by NPR</a>
 shows Kansas currently doesn’t have enough people to meet the need for 
contact tracing. Kansas is hoping to deploy 400 people overall — 
including some volunteers. That would equal 14 contact tracers per 
100,000 residents, though public health recommendations call ideally for
 30 per 100,000 people.Crystal Watson of Johns Hopkins Center for
 Health Security told NPR that states “shouldn’t undershoot” contact 
tracing, noting that putting money toward the practice will help control
 COVID-19 and reduce further economic impacts.Kansas News Service health reporter Celia Llopis-Jepsen and KMUW reporter Nadya Faulx contributed to this report.Alex Smith is a health reporter for KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City.&nbsp;Erica Hunzinger is the news editor of the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/ehunzinger" target="_blank">@ehunzinger</a> or email her at erica@kcur.org.

What Kansas might do to reopen after coronavirus shut it down 

A mobile COVID-19 testing initiative launched in Kansas to set-up drive-thru sites in certain communities that haven’t had access to testing is underway, according to a media release.

Mobile units will travel to &nbsp;Butler, Scott, Rooks, Reno and Saline County on a rotating basis each week to test those who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, all health care providers and first responders can be tested whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms. An appointment for testing can be made at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/">www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com</a>, but on-site scheduling also will be available. The site is supported by Walmart,&nbsp;eTrueNorth and state officials.

“Walmart is committed to supporting the state of Kansas’ efforts to expand COVID-19 testing, especially in communities that have had limited access to testing,” Ryan Irsik, Walmart Public Affairs Director for Kansas, said. “We are grateful to our pharmacists and associates who are supporting these testing sites, and to&nbsp;eTrueNorth and state and county officials as we work together to open sites that will help Kansans access timely testing.”

Mondays and Tuesdays each week; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., weather permitting. Scott Lake State Park, 101 West Scott Lake Drive, Scott City.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588174331940.png" alt="Photo courtesy eTruth North" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy eTruth North</figcaption>
 </figure>A mobile COVID-19 testing initiative launched in Kansas to set-up drive-thru sites in certain communities that haven’t had access to testing is underway, according to a media release.Mobile units will travel to &nbsp;Butler, Scott, Rooks, Reno and Saline County on a rotating basis each week to test those who are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. In addition, all health care providers and first responders can be tested whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms. An appointment for testing can be made at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/">www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com</a>, but on-site scheduling also will be available. The site is supported by Walmart,&nbsp;eTrueNorth and state officials.“Walmart is committed to supporting the state of Kansas’ efforts to expand COVID-19 testing, especially in communities that have had limited access to testing,” Ryan Irsik, Walmart Public Affairs Director for Kansas, said. “We are grateful to our pharmacists and associates who are supporting these testing sites, and to&nbsp;eTrueNorth and state and county officials as we work together to open sites that will help Kansans access timely testing.”Mondays and Tuesdays each week; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., weather permitting. Scott Lake State Park, 101 West Scott Lake Drive, Scott City.&nbsp;Rooks County:Wednesdays and Thursdays each week; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., weather permitting. Webster State Park, 1140 10 Rd., Stockton.&nbsp;Saline County:Fridays and Saturdays each week; 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. weather permitting. KHP Training Academy, 2025 East Iron Avenue, Salina.Additional testing information:The drive-thru site will test&nbsp;anyone who may be exhibiting symptoms of the virus. In addition, the site is available to all health care workers and first responders, whether or not they are exhibiting symptoms.Appointments must be made through&nbsp;eTrueNorth’s online portal at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.doineedacovid19test.com/">www.DoINeedaCOVID19test.com</a>, which will screen individuals to ensure they meet&nbsp;CDC eligibility for testing. On-site scheduling will be available for those who are not able to schedule online. For questions regarding testing, call 800-635-8611.Those being tested will need to stay in their cars for verification of eligibility criteria, ID check and self-administered test. For the safety of all those on-site, the test site is not available to walk-ups; those being tested must be in a car.The site will use a self-administered nasal swab test that will allow those being tested to swab their own nose onsite while in their vehicles, observed by a trained medical professional to ensure the sample is taken correctly, and then dropped in the sealed sample into a container on their way out of the drive-through site.eTrueNorth, a contractor of the U.S. Department of&nbsp;Health and Human Services&nbsp;(HHS, will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and applicable Departments of Health.The site will be staffed by volunteers, including Walmart healthcare professionals and&nbsp;eTrueNorth team members.. While individuals who are tested are awaiting results, please follow&nbsp;CDC guidelines&nbsp;and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in your home and community.