NEWTON, Kan. —The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County. The confirmed cases include:

· A female in her 70s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 60s. She had known out-of-state travel. · A female in her 50s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 50s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 40s. She was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A female in her 40s. She is a close contact of a known active case. She has already met recovery criteria. · A female in her 30s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. She was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A female in her 20s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 20s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 60s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 60s. He had known out-of-state travel. · A male in his 50s. He was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A male in his 40s. His source of exposure is unknown. · A male in his 30s. He is a close contact of a known active case. · A male between 10-and-19 years old. This case is under investigation. He has already met recovery criteria.

All of the above individuals are in home isolation. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.

Harvey County has had 81 COVID-19 cases to date, including 77 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 35 known active cases in Harvey County. Two individuals remain hospitalized. There have been 2,118 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593790914635.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEWTON, Kan. —The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County. The confirmed cases include:· A female in her 70s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 60s. She had known out-of-state travel. · A female in her 50s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 50s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 40s. She was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A female in her 40s. She is a close contact of a known active case. She has already met recovery criteria. · A female in her 30s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. Her source of exposure is unknown. · A female in her 20s. She was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A female in her 20s. She is a close contact of a known active case. · A female in her 20s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 60s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 60s. He had known out-of-state travel. · A male in his 50s. He was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A male in his 40s. His source of exposure is unknown. · A male in his 30s. He is a close contact of a known active case. · A male between 10-and-19 years old. This case is under investigation. He has already met recovery criteria.All of the above individuals are in home isolation. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.Harvey County has had 81 COVID-19 cases to date, including 77 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 35 known active cases in Harvey County. Two individuals remain hospitalized. There have been 2,118 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.

Harvey County confirms eighteen more cases of COVID-19, currently 35 active

KANSAS CITY (AP) — The rapidly rising number of confirmed new coronavirus cases has prompted an update to facial- covering requirements in Kansas City.

The Missouri Department of health on Thursday reported 795 new cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. 

That was the most in a single day since the pandemic began, topping the 773 confirmed new cases reported Tuesday. In the first four days of this week, Missouri has reported 2,563 new cases. They also reported&nbsp; 13 more virus deaths on Friday. The Kansas Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 new cases since Wednesday and two more deaths.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Friday extended the requirement to wear a facial covering through at least Aug. 15. The original face mask order that went into effect June 29 was scheduled to expire Sunday, but Kansas City has averaged 290 confirmed new COVID-19 cases over the past four days, including 370 on Thursday.

“As we've seen in a number of other jurisdictions, there continues to be significant concerns with the spread of COVID-19, continuing taxation on certain public health and medical resources, and that's why we are taking the ongoing steps we will today,” Lucas, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

Kansas City also is maintaining it 50% capacity limit for drinking establishments, Lucas said.

The face mask rule in Kansas City mandates all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. Also effective Monday, June 29, percentage capacity limits as required by Mayor Lucas’s Eighth Amended Order will be eliminated, except for taverns and bars.

“Our country’s leading health and scientific experts have indicated in no uncertain terms that mask-weari­ng is the most effective way to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Lucas. “Case numbers in Kansas City continue to rise, and we are taking all steps we can to ensure public health and safety. I know wearing masks can be uncomfortable, but this is a necessary step to ensure we can save lives and keep our economy open. We wear masks to protect our loved ones, those around us, and their loved ones.”

“We are keeping a close watch on our cases and hospitalizations, but know widespread mask-use is one essential way to slow COVID-19 and keep Kansas City businesses open,” said Dr. Archer. “It’s up to us. Let’s learn from Texas and Florida and what’s happening there now. Their mitigations and closures weren’t as quickly adopted or embraced. Now their case counts are rising at a disturbing rate and they’ve had to slow their reopening plans.”

Exceptions to the face covering requirement are as follows:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590784947764.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — The rapidly rising number of confirmed new coronavirus cases has prompted an update to facial- covering requirements in Kansas City.The Missouri Department of health on Thursday reported 795 new cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. That was the most in a single day since the pandemic began, topping the 773 confirmed new cases reported Tuesday. In the first four days of this week, Missouri has reported 2,563 new cases. They also reported&nbsp; 13 more virus deaths on Friday. The Kansas Department of Health reported nearly 1,000 new cases since Wednesday and two more deaths.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589226208948.png" alt="Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas during a press briefing in April- photo courtesy city of KCMO" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas during a press briefing in April- photo courtesy city of KCMO</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Friday extended the requirement to wear a facial covering through at least Aug. 15. The original face mask order that went into effect June 29 was scheduled to expire Sunday, but Kansas City has averaged 290 confirmed new COVID-19 cases over the past four days, including 370 on Thursday.“As we've seen in a number of other jurisdictions, there continues to be significant concerns with the spread of COVID-19, continuing taxation on certain public health and medical resources, and that's why we are taking the ongoing steps we will today,” Lucas, a Democrat, said at a news conference.Kansas City also is maintaining it 50% capacity limit for drinking establishments, Lucas said.The face mask rule in Kansas City mandates all employees or visitors to any place of public accommodation must wear face coverings in an area or while performing an activity which will necessarily involve close contact or proximity to co-workers or the public where six feet of separation is not feasible. Also effective Monday, June 29, percentage capacity limits as required by Mayor Lucas’s Eighth Amended Order will be eliminated, except for taverns and bars.“Our country’s leading health and scientific experts have indicated in no uncertain terms that mask-weari­ng is the most effective way to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Lucas. “Case numbers in Kansas City continue to rise, and we are taking all steps we can to ensure public health and safety. I know wearing masks can be uncomfortable, but this is a necessary step to ensure we can save lives and keep our economy open. We wear masks to protect our loved ones, those around us, and their loved ones.”“We are keeping a close watch on our cases and hospitalizations, but know widespread mask-use is one essential way to slow COVID-19 and keep Kansas City businesses open,” said Dr. Archer. “It’s up to us. Let’s learn from Texas and Florida and what’s happening there now. Their mitigations and closures weren’t as quickly adopted or embraced. Now their case counts are rising at a disturbing rate and they’ve had to slow their reopening plans.”Exceptions to the face covering requirement are as follows:<ul>
 <li>Minors, though Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance recommends that all individuals over the age of two wear masks.</li><li>People who have disabilities that:Prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings.Prevent them from communicating while wearing face coverings.</li><li>Prevent them from comfortably wearing or taking off face coverings.</li><li>Prevent them from communicating while wearing face coverings.</li><li>People who have respiratory conditions or breathing trouble.</li><li>People who have been told by a medical, legal, or behavioral health professional not to wear face coverings.</li><li>People who are seated in a restaurant, tavern, or bar and are actively engaged in consuming food or drink while adequately distanced from other tables.</li>
 </ul>

Kansas City mayor extends face covering mandate into mid-August

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.

“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.

In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”

“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.

They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.

That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.

Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.

But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.

“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”

Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.

But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”

The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.

A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.

“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.

Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.

The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.

When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.

The White House declined to comment on the documents.

The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”

The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”

“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.

In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.

“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.

Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594383296234.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield addressed the guidelines during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing this week- image CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials won’t revise their coronavirus guidelines for reopening schools despite criticism from President Donald Trump, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. What they will do, he said, is provide additional information to help states, communities and parents decide what to do and when.“Our guidelines are our guidelines,” Dr. Robert Redfield declared.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CDC has outlined a number of strategies that schools can use to reopen safely. In addition to our guidelines, CDC will soon provide reference documents for parents, caregivers, &amp; schools to help them test &amp; monitor for symptoms &amp; use face coverings. <a href="https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr">https://t.co/G6I4bXMGjr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> <a href="https://t.co/rKP9cppXsB">pic.twitter.com/rKP9cppXsB</a>&mdash; Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCDirector/status/1281386163484401666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In draft CDC documents obtained by The Associated Press, the agency says there are steps that schools can take to safely reopen but that it “cannot provide one-size-fits-all criteria for opening and closing schools or changing the way schools are run.”“Decisions about how to open and run schools safely should be made based on local needs and conditions,” the documents say.They also include a checklist that encourages parents to carefully consider whether they should send their kids back to school in person or seek virtual instruction. Many districts nationwide are offering parents a choice of either mode of instruction. New York City, among other school districts, has announced that students will only return part-time in the fall.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594154849112.png" alt="President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump during this week's White House summit on Safely Reopening America’s Schools-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>That runs counter to Trump’s messaging. He has been repeatedly pressuring state and local officials to reopen schools this fall, even threatening to withhold federal funds from those that keep teaching and learning remote.Trump on Wednesday criticized the CDC’s guidelines as “very tough and expensive” and said the agency was “asking schools to do very impractical things.” Speaking of CDC officials, he tweeted, “I will be meeting with them!!!” And Vice President Mike Pence said revised guidelines would be issued next week.But in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Redfield firmly stuck to the existing CDC guidelines.“It’s really important, it’s not a revision of the guidelines, it’s just to provide additional information to help schools be able to use the guidance that we put forward.”Asked about the apparent discrepancy between Redfield’s and Pence’s statements, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said they were on the same page. She said “supplemental guidelines” would be forthcoming.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools will be failing kids if they don’t provide full-time, in-person instruction.But the draft CDC documents, which have yet to be released publicly, say decisions like that should be left to local officials. They say, “Each school and each community will have different needs and should implement the strategies best designed to meet them.”The documents say that in-person schooling will lead to at least some infections but that there are steps schools can take to lessen the risk.A graph of the CDC’s disease modeling indicates there’s likely to be significantly more virus spread if all students attend school five days a week. The graph projects alternate schedules could cut infections by as much as 80%, although the agency acknowledges there is much more to learn about the disease.“Scientists are still learning about how it spreads, how it impacts children and what role children may play in its spread,” the introduction to the parent checklist states.Redfield said the upcoming reference documents in part would cover how to monitor for symptoms and use face masks in schools.The CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html" target="_blank">current guidance</a>&nbsp;recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.When asked about the documents AP obtained, CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes wrote in an email that the agency would distribute additional guidance next week and pointed to what has already been released.The White House declined to comment on the documents.The 30-question parent checklist asks about a child’s health, use of special education services, comfort with local school plans and whether parents can facilitate at-home learning. It warns that if parents check multiple items on the “stay-at-home” column, that “could be an indicator that your family should consider alternative learning formats other than in-person schooling.”The checklist says parents should evaluate school district plans, including how districts are “preparing for when someone gets sick.”“If your child, members of your household, or individuals with whom you interact frequently are at increased risk for severe illness, the best way to reduce risk of getting sick is to limit your interaction with other people,” it states.In his tweet on Wednesday, Trump did not clarify which of the CDC guidelines he opposed. But McEnany said, for example, that the president takes issue with the CDC’s suggestion that students bring their own meals to school when feasible.“There are 22 million children in this country who depend on these meals at schools, who depend on access to nutrition in schools,” she said.Democrats have warned Trump to keep out of the CDC’s work. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, ranking Democrat on the Education Committee, said the agency needs to be trusted to make decisions based on scientific evidence, “not on President Trump’s Twitter outbursts.”___

CDC head sticking to school-opening guides despite criticism 

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 993 to a total of 18,611, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;

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

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 993 to a total of 18,611, the state health department reported Friday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 284<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/2020/7/1594402542454.png" alt="Friday July 10, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday July 10, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

NEWTON,
Kan. — 
The Harvey County Health Department, in consultation with Public Health Officer Dr. Doyle Detweiler, has identified community spread of COVID-19 in Harvey County.

Community spread means individuals have been infected with COVID-19 in the area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.

“We did not determine this lightly. The Health Department has worked meticulously to verify the sources of exposure in the majority of our cases,” Detweiler said. “However, as cases have increased, so have the number of cases where we cannot definitively determine a transmission method for COVID-19.”

Harvey County has had 63 COVID-19 cases to date, including 59 confirmed and four probable cases. There have been 47 new confirmed cases over the past three weeks.

Of the 63 total cases, 18 have an unknown source of exposure, or 29 percent.

“Community spread isn’t a reason to panic, but it does justify a sense of urgency in our communities,” said Harvey County Health Department Director Lynnette Redington. “It’s an opportunity for each of us to renew our personal commitments to the precautions that worked so well early on for our county. COVID-19 is in our county, and each of us needs to respond accordingly.”

The Health Department continues to adamantly support taking preventative steps to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. That includes frequent hand washing or using hand sanitizer, practicing social distancing, and wearing a face cover when social distance cannot be maintained.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593790914635.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEWTON,
Kan. — 
The Harvey County Health Department, in consultation with Public Health Officer Dr. Doyle Detweiler, has identified community spread of COVID-19 in Harvey County.Community spread means individuals have been infected with COVID-19 in the area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.“We did not determine this lightly. The Health Department has worked meticulously to verify the sources of exposure in the majority of our cases,” Detweiler said. “However, as cases have increased, so have the number of cases where we cannot definitively determine a transmission method for COVID-19.”Harvey County has had 63 COVID-19 cases to date, including 59 confirmed and four probable cases. There have been 47 new confirmed cases over the past three weeks.Of the 63 total cases, 18 have an unknown source of exposure, or 29 percent.“Community spread isn’t a reason to panic, but it does justify a sense of urgency in our communities,” said Harvey County Health Department Director Lynnette Redington. “It’s an opportunity for each of us to renew our personal commitments to the precautions that worked so well early on for our county. COVID-19 is in our county, and each of us needs to respond accordingly.”The Health Department continues to adamantly support taking preventative steps to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. That includes frequent hand washing or using hand sanitizer, practicing social distancing, and wearing a face cover when social distance cannot be maintained.

Harvey County identifies community spread of COVID-19


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti sees the upcoming fall season as something of grave concern if people do not make personal choices to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"For the mainstay of the mortalities that we've seen in the nation and in the state, underlying conditions are a significant indicator of the potential of COVID enacting a fatality," Baldetti said. 

Baldetti's concern is that even if there aren't other comorbidities, we could be facing multiple respiratory threats once the weather cools.

"The concern is not that COVID-19 as a viral body itself is going to enact widespread death," Baldetti said. "That isn't the concern, but what needs to be understood is that SARS-CoV-2 virus, the way it impacts the human body, it is an immunoparalyzing viral body."

Once we're into flu and pneumonia season, the multiple threats could cause further problems, if COVID-19 isn't stopped now.

"Simply because you contract SARS-CoV-2 virus, doesn't mean you cannot contract anything else," Baldetti said. "As such, I would hope that people understand the implications of that. Having a large amount of people infected with this virus at a time when we have other seasonal bacterial and viral infections floating around, I hope that impresses upon people, how potentially dangerous the fall and winter can be if we do not mitigate the spread now."

Baldetti believes that any talk of future shutdowns, if they even come up, will be political in nature. Baldetti believes that should not be the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589983765832.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti sees the upcoming fall season as something of grave concern if people do not make personal choices to slow the spread of COVID-19."For the mainstay of the mortalities that we've seen in the nation and in the state, underlying conditions are a significant indicator of the potential of COVID enacting a fatality," Baldetti said. Baldetti's concern is that even if there aren't other comorbidities, we could be facing multiple respiratory threats once the weather cools."The concern is not that COVID-19 as a viral body itself is going to enact widespread death," Baldetti said. "That isn't the concern, but what needs to be understood is that SARS-CoV-2 virus, the way it impacts the human body, it is an immunoparalyzing viral body."Once we're into flu and pneumonia season, the multiple threats could cause further problems, if COVID-19 isn't stopped now."Simply because you contract SARS-CoV-2 virus, doesn't mean you cannot contract anything else," Baldetti said. "As such, I would hope that people understand the implications of that. Having a large amount of people infected with this virus at a time when we have other seasonal bacterial and viral infections floating around, I hope that impresses upon people, how potentially dangerous the fall and winter can be if we do not mitigate the spread now."Baldetti believes that any talk of future shutdowns, if they even come up, will be political in nature. Baldetti believes that should not be the case.

Baldetti warns fall could be rough if COVID-19 isn't stopped soon

MANHATTAN — Multiple Kansas State University colleges and units will implement administrative furloughs as one of several ways the university is addressing significant financial challenges for fiscal year 2021. The financial challenges are the direct result of the still evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday ( July 10)&nbsp; K-State President Richard Myers outlined steps the university is taking to reduce nearly $37 million in costs, including the administrative furloughs, terminating and eliminating positions, voluntary salary reductions, using cash reserves, and cutting operating expenses. Coupled with the emergency furloughs the university administered in May and June, 1,868 employees will be affected. While the furloughs will provide the university with $8.65 million in short-term cost reductions, Myers said these personnel actions come at a steep cost. "These emergency and administrative furloughs have real-life consequences for our faculty and staff who are the heart of our university," Myers said. "These are very difficult decisions to make." The length of each administrative furlough will vary by college and unit and have been determined by their leadership. The furloughs can begin on Aug. 9 and can be implemented throughout the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on June 15, 2021. They will take place in the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension; College of Architecture, Planning &amp; Design; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Health and Human Sciences; Division of Communications and Marketing; Office of International Programs; and the Office of the President. <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/hcs/" target="_blank">K-State Human Capital Services</a>&nbsp;is providing online assistance for employees affected by furloughs, including FAQ webpages for both emergency and administrative furloughed employees. Furloughed employees also can apply for emergency funds through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksufoundation.org/kstatestrong/index.html" target="_blank">#KStateStrong Emergency Response Fund</a>&nbsp;administered by the KSU Foundation. "We are living in extraordinary times," Myers said. "While more difficult decisions lie ahead, we must remember we are in this together and we will meet the challenge. We have to take care of ourselves, our families, our students, and our communities while maintaining and delivering our land-grant mission through teaching, research and extension/outreach."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590077318432.png" alt="K-State President Richard Myers" />
 <figcaption>K-State President Richard Myers</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN — Multiple Kansas State University colleges and units will implement administrative furloughs as one of several ways the university is addressing significant financial challenges for fiscal year 2021. The financial challenges are the direct result of the still evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday ( July 10)&nbsp; K-State President Richard Myers outlined steps the university is taking to reduce nearly $37 million in costs, including the administrative furloughs, terminating and eliminating positions, voluntary salary reductions, using cash reserves, and cutting operating expenses. Coupled with the emergency furloughs the university administered in May and June, 1,868 employees will be affected. While the furloughs will provide the university with $8.65 million in short-term cost reductions, Myers said these personnel actions come at a steep cost. "These emergency and administrative furloughs have real-life consequences for our faculty and staff who are the heart of our university," Myers said. "These are very difficult decisions to make." The length of each administrative furlough will vary by college and unit and have been determined by their leadership. The furloughs can begin on Aug. 9 and can be implemented throughout the rest of the fiscal year, which ends on June 15, 2021. They will take place in the College of Agriculture and K-State Research and Extension; College of Architecture, Planning &amp; Design; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Health and Human Sciences; Division of Communications and Marketing; Office of International Programs; and the Office of the President. <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/hcs/" target="_blank">K-State Human Capital Services</a>&nbsp;is providing online assistance for employees affected by furloughs, including FAQ webpages for both emergency and administrative furloughed employees. Furloughed employees also can apply for emergency funds through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksufoundation.org/kstatestrong/index.html" target="_blank">#KStateStrong Emergency Response Fund</a>&nbsp;administered by the KSU Foundation. "We are living in extraordinary times," Myers said. "While more difficult decisions lie ahead, we must remember we are in this together and we will meet the challenge. We have to take care of ourselves, our families, our students, and our communities while maintaining and delivering our land-grant mission through teaching, research and extension/outreach."

Administrative furloughs at K-State to address budget shortfalls


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
As of Thursday evening, Reno County has an active COVID-19 case count at 36. 

109 total positive tests have occurred since the beginning of the pandemic. 3064 tests have been administered with 2955 negatives, for a positive case rate of 3.56%. 4.87% of the population has been tested.

No one in Reno County has had COVID-19 listed as the primary cause of death thus far. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593790914635.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
As of Thursday evening, Reno County has an active COVID-19 case count at 36. 109 total positive tests have occurred since the beginning of the pandemic. 3064 tests have been administered with 2955 negatives, for a positive case rate of 3.56%. 4.87% of the population has been tested.No one in Reno County has had COVID-19 listed as the primary cause of death thus far. Three people are currently hospitalized.

Reno County active case count at 36 as of Thursday evening


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Reno County Health Department clarified in a release Wednesday that they are not conducting COVID-19 testing. 

They are requesting that you call your medical provider if you believe you need to be tested.

If you do not have a medical provider, you can call Hutchinson Clinic at (620) 669-2500 or PrairieStar at (620) 663-8484, but both locations require that you call ahead to ensure test availability and to allow staff to follow proper infection protocol.

Please practice good hygiene with frequent hand washing, proper respiratory etiquette such as coughing and sneezing into your elbow bend, wearing a mask when going out in public, limiting handshakes and physical contact. Stay home if you are feeling ill and call your primary care physician to discuss your symptoms.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Reno County Health Department clarified in a release Wednesday that they are not conducting COVID-19 testing. They are requesting that you call your medical provider if you believe you need to be tested.If you do not have a medical provider, you can call Hutchinson Clinic at (620) 669-2500 or PrairieStar at (620) 663-8484, but both locations require that you call ahead to ensure test availability and to allow staff to follow proper infection protocol.Please practice good hygiene with frequent hand washing, proper respiratory etiquette such as coughing and sneezing into your elbow bend, wearing a mask when going out in public, limiting handshakes and physical contact. Stay home if you are feeling ill and call your primary care physician to discuss your symptoms.

Reno County Health Department not conducting COVID-19 testing


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — According to Hutchinson USD 308, there was a COVID-19 exposure during summer volleyball and girls’ basketball workouts last week. Under the direction of the Reno County Health Department, athletes were notified of the exposure but not required to quarantine.

Families have been asked to monitor their athletes for symptoms and in the event the student develops symptoms they are to contact their physician or the Reno County Health Department at 620-694-2900.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — According to Hutchinson USD 308, there was a COVID-19 exposure during summer volleyball and girls’ basketball workouts last week. Under the direction of the Reno County Health Department, athletes were notified of the exposure but not required to quarantine.Families have been asked to monitor their athletes for symptoms and in the event the student develops symptoms they are to contact their physician or the Reno County Health Department at 620-694-2900.

USD 308 athletes potentially exposed to COVID-19


HARVEY COUNTY — The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed its 54th and 55th cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County.

One confirmed case is a female in her 50s. She is in home isolation. This case is under investigation.

One confirmed case is a female in her 40s. She is in home isolation. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county.

Testing in both cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.

Harvey County has had 55 COVID-19 cases to date, including 51 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 15 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.

There have been 1,910 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.

As of Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed 16,901 cases of COVID-19 in the state to date. The KDHE reported 202,219 completed tests in Kansas.

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HARVEY COUNTY — The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed its 54th and 55th cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County.One confirmed case is a female in her 50s. She is in home isolation. This case is under investigation.One confirmed case is a female in her 40s. She is in home isolation. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county.Testing in both cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.Harvey County has had 55 COVID-19 cases to date, including 51 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 15 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.There have been 1,910 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.As of Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed 16,901 cases of COVID-19 in the state to date. The KDHE reported 202,219 completed tests in Kansas.

Harvey County confirms 54th, 55th cases of COVID-19, 15 active cases in county


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Americare operates Senior Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Memory Care across 144 communities in Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, including Waldron Place in Hutchinson. 

In early March, when the signs of the COVID-19 pandemic were just beginning, Americare made the investments that have allowed their residents to stay connected with family and friends, even once quarantine procedures were required.

On March 13, all outside visitors to its facilities were discontinued and all group gatherings stopped. Americare believed that even though it was necessary to shut out visitors, that did not have to mean shutting down social and informational connections.

That meant an extensive investment in equipment, training and learning among staff and residents and families to ensure that residents did not feel isolated or cut off, and that families could feel connected and informed. It also meant an investment in training, protocols and tracking to stay ahead of potential issues across the company.

• iPads shipped to every community for resident use and training of staff to help residents keep in touch with loved ones.

• “Join Me” accounts for residents and families.

• Extra training for the facility Lifestyle Teams on various communications.

• Activity software on iPads and computers so residents can be physically active, mentally active and engaged through brain games and exercises.

• Enabling staff remote access to all property systems to provide care and help properties creating less need for property visits.

• Set up eFax capabilities to replace the multi-function device (print, scan, fax, copy) that is typically used by staff and residents thus eliminating potential cross contamination between non-COVID and COVID areas.

• Gathered emails for all resident family members for updates.

• Email protocols established and activated in any community with a COVID case to keep everyone informed (did not activate where there was no activity so as not to create alarm).

• Creation of an “our community and COVID” channel for updates to families online in communities with COVID activity.

• Developed a series of surveys and reports so the company and properties could see the impact/progression of the virus, staffing needs, and PPE availability.This snapshot allowed learnings from one community to be shared with others and ensured availability of people and equipment where needed when needed.

• An aggressive local media outreach to ensure that when there was a COVID issue at a property, the media would have the facts and no need to bother staff or families, thus protecting everyone.

• Extensive use of property level social media to give a window into the facility that helps ease the minds of families outside.

The actual medical equipment used was also upgraded for such items as vital signs monitoring so that taking vital signs and uploading them into systems was easier. This created more accessible data that gave a consolidated view for monitoring vitals and spotting areas of concern or trends in advance so that testing, treatment, and even quarantine decisions could be made faster and ahead of the virus’ potential progression.

“We believe the investments in technology made at the beginning of the pandemic and as we progressed through the months created an environment of communication to benefit the physical and mental health of residents and families, as well as creating lifestyle opportunities to keep residents engaged during this difficult time,” said Patricia Cokingtin, Senior Vice President of Americare. “In addition, our investments in staff training, software and database management put us in a position to identify issues and even potential issues and react to them in terms of supplies, personnel and evasive actions that we believe kept the virus contained within or even away from communities.”

For more information on how Americare facilities are addressing the coronavirus pandemic please visit <a href="https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus">https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus</a>.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Americare operates Senior Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Memory Care across 144 communities in Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, including Waldron Place in Hutchinson. In early March, when the signs of the COVID-19 pandemic were just beginning, Americare made the investments that have allowed their residents to stay connected with family and friends, even once quarantine procedures were required.On March 13, all outside visitors to its facilities were discontinued and all group gatherings stopped. Americare believed that even though it was necessary to shut out visitors, that did not have to mean shutting down social and informational connections.That meant an extensive investment in equipment, training and learning among staff and residents and families to ensure that residents did not feel isolated or cut off, and that families could feel connected and informed. It also meant an investment in training, protocols and tracking to stay ahead of potential issues across the company.Among the investments were:• iPads shipped to every community for resident use and training of staff to help residents keep in touch with loved ones.• “Join Me” accounts for residents and families.• Extra training for the facility Lifestyle Teams on various communications.• Activity software on iPads and computers so residents can be physically active, mentally active and engaged through brain games and exercises.• Enabling staff remote access to all property systems to provide care and help properties creating less need for property visits.• Set up eFax capabilities to replace the multi-function device (print, scan, fax, copy) that is typically used by staff and residents thus eliminating potential cross contamination between non-COVID and COVID areas.• Gathered emails for all resident family members for updates.• Email protocols established and activated in any community with a COVID case to keep everyone informed (did not activate where there was no activity so as not to create alarm).• Creation of an “our community and COVID” channel for updates to families online in communities with COVID activity.• Developed a series of surveys and reports so the company and properties could see the impact/progression of the virus, staffing needs, and PPE availability.This snapshot allowed learnings from one community to be shared with others and ensured availability of people and equipment where needed when needed.• An aggressive local media outreach to ensure that when there was a COVID issue at a property, the media would have the facts and no need to bother staff or families, thus protecting everyone.• Extensive use of property level social media to give a window into the facility that helps ease the minds of families outside.The actual medical equipment used was also upgraded for such items as vital signs monitoring so that taking vital signs and uploading them into systems was easier. This created more accessible data that gave a consolidated view for monitoring vitals and spotting areas of concern or trends in advance so that testing, treatment, and even quarantine decisions could be made faster and ahead of the virus’ potential progression.“We believe the investments in technology made at the beginning of the pandemic and as we progressed through the months created an environment of communication to benefit the physical and mental health of residents and families, as well as creating lifestyle opportunities to keep residents engaged during this difficult time,” said Patricia Cokingtin, Senior Vice President of Americare. “In addition, our investments in staff training, software and database management put us in a position to identify issues and even potential issues and react to them in terms of supplies, personnel and evasive actions that we believe kept the virus contained within or even away from communities.”For more information on how Americare facilities are addressing the coronavirus pandemic please visit <a href="https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus">https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus</a>.

Parent company of Waldron Place issues information on COVID-19 response

TOPEKA— Governor Laura Kelly has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a Kansas plan for crisis counseling under the individual assistance category of the Stafford Act, according to a media release from the governor's office.

Funding is provided by FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Immediate Services Program (ISP). ISP is a program supported by a grant that provides disaster relief assistance offered through specially trained providers and other supports for up to 60 days after a major disaster declaration. Funding was secured through partnership with Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services and Kansas Department of Agriculture.

“Kansans have faced challenges and uncertainty since the beginning of this unprecedented health crisis," Kelly said. "We are developing a program with both virtual and person-to-person support offered with social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in mind. It is imperative to provide options for support during this time to let people know they are not alone, and help is available for those who need it.”

The first round of training was held on June 19 and 22 for providers to help support mental health initiatives designed to benefit Kansans affected by the pandemic. The initial Core Content Training is a two-day training developed by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that covers basic crisis counseling skills and services, data collection and stress management techniques. Over 40 individuals were trained during this session. This opportunity positions Kansas to address the complexities of COVID-19. Collaborating agencies are establishing an approach to provide outreach and services by telephone, virtually and through social media. The program will focus on providing crisis counseling and disaster recovery options, promoting the use or development of healthy coping strategies, connecting survivors with appropriate people and agencies that can assist them, and completing referrals to other disaster recovery programs or mental health providers.

Hotlines through this program with trained crisis counseling staff and online support and resources are available now.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), provides free 24/7, confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. A chat option is also available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuicidepreventionlifeline.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001298825&amp;sdata=BpBBPvIenyukrtDzDG73vmbbSaPpLlyev2MUdjGYuLE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/</a>.

Additional support is available for citizens through the following resources:

The Kansas Ag Stress Resources website offers a variety of resources geared toward those involved in agriculture including a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-447-1985. This is a service through the Kansas Department of Agriculture found at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kansasagstress.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001298825&amp;sdata=JlJT%2BswLLCvL8pMPwbq1y8Y%2F2WJOHtHGwn6RGq7k2sM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.KansasAgStress.org</a>.

SAMHSA offers the Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990. The Helpline is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week and free resource that responds to people who need crisis counseling and support in dealing with the traumatic effects of a natural or human-caused disaster.

With Kansas: Stronger Together as a program motto and brand, this program will also provide toolkits with educational materials and general outreach information for citizens, businesses and providers. Materials are available for the public and encouraged to be used as needed and shared in locations such as grocery stores, churches, businesses, funeral homes, social media, medical clinics or other places where individuals may gather. Some topics addressed include grief and loss, financial stress, coping mechanisms, children and coping, anxiety related to COVID-19, possible suicidal ideation, general resource information, agriculture hardship and other topics.&nbsp; Information can be found online via Facebook at Kansas: Stronger Together.

"As we continue to find ways to proactively battle the ongoing mental health and social effects of this pandemic, I think it's important we recognize the impact puts us in uncharted territory in that it reaches every corner of our state," KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. "This funding allows us to implement a program that can also reach every corner of our state and is designed to link those in need to crisis counseling and community supports as well as other resources, strategies and comforts as we face this together."

Kansas will be requesting ongoing crisis counseling assistance from FEMA with a request to extend crisis counseling services to Kansans through the Crisis Counseling Program Regular Services Program. The Regular Services Program (RSP) is a CCP grant program that provides disaster relief assistance for ongoing counseling services and support for up to nine months after a major disaster declaration. A website is currently being developed.

For additional resources visit the&nbsp;Kansas: Stronger Together Facebook page (<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansas-Stronger-Together&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001308783&amp;sdata=mvtm8kjHaxswJOt6xhVAPbPN72rOORNsw4dRN1SGQBA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Kansas-Stronger-Together</a>). Kansas residents can also dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-CHILDREN to learn about programs and services.

TOPEKA— Governor Laura Kelly has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a Kansas plan for crisis counseling under the individual assistance category of the Stafford Act, according to a media release from the governor's office.Funding is provided by FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Program Immediate Services Program (ISP). ISP is a program supported by a grant that provides disaster relief assistance offered through specially trained providers and other supports for up to 60 days after a major disaster declaration. Funding was secured through partnership with Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services and Kansas Department of Agriculture.“Kansans have faced challenges and uncertainty since the beginning of this unprecedented health crisis," Kelly said. "We are developing a program with both virtual and person-to-person support offered with social distancing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in mind. It is imperative to provide options for support during this time to let people know they are not alone, and help is available for those who need it.”The first round of training was held on June 19 and 22 for providers to help support mental health initiatives designed to benefit Kansans affected by the pandemic. The initial Core Content Training is a two-day training developed by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that covers basic crisis counseling skills and services, data collection and stress management techniques. Over 40 individuals were trained during this session. This opportunity positions Kansas to address the complexities of COVID-19. Collaborating agencies are establishing an approach to provide outreach and services by telephone, virtually and through social media. The program will focus on providing crisis counseling and disaster recovery options, promoting the use or development of healthy coping strategies, connecting survivors with appropriate people and agencies that can assist them, and completing referrals to other disaster recovery programs or mental health providers.Hotlines through this program with trained crisis counseling staff and online support and resources are available now.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), provides free 24/7, confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. A chat option is also available online at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuicidepreventionlifeline.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001298825&amp;sdata=BpBBPvIenyukrtDzDG73vmbbSaPpLlyev2MUdjGYuLE%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/</a>.Additional support is available for citizens through the following resources:The Kansas Ag Stress Resources website offers a variety of resources geared toward those involved in agriculture including a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-447-1985. This is a service through the Kansas Department of Agriculture found at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kansasagstress.org%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001298825&amp;sdata=JlJT%2BswLLCvL8pMPwbq1y8Y%2F2WJOHtHGwn6RGq7k2sM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.KansasAgStress.org</a>.SAMHSA offers the Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990. The Helpline is a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week and free resource that responds to people who need crisis counseling and support in dealing with the traumatic effects of a natural or human-caused disaster.With Kansas: Stronger Together as a program motto and brand, this program will also provide toolkits with educational materials and general outreach information for citizens, businesses and providers. Materials are available for the public and encouraged to be used as needed and shared in locations such as grocery stores, churches, businesses, funeral homes, social media, medical clinics or other places where individuals may gather. Some topics addressed include grief and loss, financial stress, coping mechanisms, children and coping, anxiety related to COVID-19, possible suicidal ideation, general resource information, agriculture hardship and other topics.&nbsp; Information can be found online via Facebook at Kansas: Stronger Together."As we continue to find ways to proactively battle the ongoing mental health and social effects of this pandemic, I think it's important we recognize the impact puts us in uncharted territory in that it reaches every corner of our state," KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. "This funding allows us to implement a program that can also reach every corner of our state and is designed to link those in need to crisis counseling and community supports as well as other resources, strategies and comforts as we face this together."Kansas will be requesting ongoing crisis counseling assistance from FEMA with a request to extend crisis counseling services to Kansans through the Crisis Counseling Program Regular Services Program. The Regular Services Program (RSP) is a CCP grant program that provides disaster relief assistance for ongoing counseling services and support for up to nine months after a major disaster declaration. A website is currently being developed.For additional resources visit the&nbsp;Kansas: Stronger Together Facebook page (<a href="https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FKansas-Stronger-Together&amp;data=02%7C01%7C%7Cf6ff3486273b4a60fa7e08d81e9ee0af%7Cdcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a%7C0%7C0%7C637293015001308783&amp;sdata=mvtm8kjHaxswJOt6xhVAPbPN72rOORNsw4dRN1SGQBA%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Kansas-Stronger-Together</a>). Kansas residents can also dial 2-1-1 or 1-800-CHILDREN to learn about programs and services.

Grant for mental health program benefits Kansans impacted by COVID-19  

Topeka –The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) has identified additional COVID-19 cases linked to the Topeka Service Area on Interstate 70 Turnpike just East of Topeka, according to public information officer Craig Barnes.

 The exposure is specifically designated to the food court and restrooms of the facility. This facility food court&nbsp; includes Dunkin Donuts, Hardees, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. The facility is accessible going east and westbound on the I-70 Turnpike.&nbsp; 

Shawnee County Health officials issued a similar alert in early May.

People who have traveled to food court or used the restrooms of this facility between July 2, 2020 and July 4, 2020 are recommended to contact their primary care provider&nbsp;IF&nbsp;they develop any of the following symptoms within 14 days from the date of their visit including fever of 100.4 F or higher, chills,&nbsp;rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches), malaise, headache, sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing), new olfactory and taste disorders,and diarrhea.

“It is important that the public be aware of this information in case they traveled and stopped at the Turnpike food court during their travels for the holiday weekend,” said Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer. 

“While the risk is most likely low for infection, it is not zero, and individuals should contact their healthcare provider if they begin to exhibit any symptoms related to COVID-19.”

As a reminder, human coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 are most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing, personal contact like shaking hands, and touching a surface with the virus and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. There are simple steps everyone can take to help prevent spreading them:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wear a mask when social and physical distancing is not possible.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home when you are sick and only leave home for essential items.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588891583149.png" alt="Topeka Service area on I-70 Google image" />
 <figcaption>Topeka Service area on I-70 Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>Topeka –The Shawnee County Health Department (SCHD) has identified additional COVID-19 cases linked to the Topeka Service Area on Interstate 70 Turnpike just East of Topeka, according to public information officer Craig Barnes. The exposure is specifically designated to the food court and restrooms of the facility. This facility food court&nbsp; includes Dunkin Donuts, Hardees, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. The facility is accessible going east and westbound on the I-70 Turnpike.&nbsp; Shawnee County Health officials issued a similar alert in early May.People who have traveled to food court or used the restrooms of this facility between July 2, 2020 and July 4, 2020 are recommended to contact their primary care provider&nbsp;IF&nbsp;they develop any of the following symptoms within 14 days from the date of their visit including fever of 100.4 F or higher, chills,&nbsp;rigors, myalgia (muscle pain or aches), malaise, headache, sore throat, lower respiratory illness (cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing), new olfactory and taste disorders,and diarrhea.“It is important that the public be aware of this information in case they traveled and stopped at the Turnpike food court during their travels for the holiday weekend,” said Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, Shawnee County Health Officer. “While the risk is most likely low for infection, it is not zero, and individuals should contact their healthcare provider if they begin to exhibit any symptoms related to COVID-19.”As a reminder, human coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 are most commonly spread through coughing and sneezing, personal contact like shaking hands, and touching a surface with the virus and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. There are simple steps everyone can take to help prevent spreading them:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wear a mask when social and physical distancing is not possible.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Avoid close contact with people who are sick.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home when you are sick and only leave home for essential items.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Coronavirus cases identified at I-70 service area food court


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson City Council discussed mask wearing briefly at their meeting Tuesday. Three of the five council members wore masks at the council table, Nancy Soldner, Jon Daveline and Jade Piros De Carvalho. Steve Garza and Sara Bagwell were not wearing masks. The discussion was in the context of whether to mandate masks in city buildings. City Manager Jeff Cantrell, who was not wearing a mask, noted that there are other ways to control public access to city staff, if necessary.

"If we felt that we had an exposure issue that could impact services as far as knocking employees out, that's when you're going to see some swift action on the part of staff coming forward and we'd probably recommend shutting the building down again," Cantrell said.

Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho did note that the City of Hutchinson has enacted health related ordinances in the past.

"We enacted an ordinance that prohibited smoking in our parks," Piros de Carvalho said. "That's another instance of an ordinance we don't really have the manpower to enforce, but, just by virtue of having the ordinance has dramatically decreased the amount of smoking. Other citizens police each other on that."

Piros de Carvalho isn't sure how to make a mandate stick without enforcement, though.

"I'm curious where the threshold is," Piros de Carvalho said. "When do we pull a special meeting together and take action? Is that when we have 100 cases? Is that when we have 50 cases? We currently have around 30 active cases."

Because the public will have such strong opinions either way, the mayor didn't feel it was appropriate to take action without it being on the agenda and at this point the city is continuing to leave the policy decision in the hands of the county. 

Council member Nancy Soldner appeared to not want to put policy in place without an enforcement mechanism and Jon Daveline seemed to agree with her on that point. Sara Bagwell wants to leave the responsibility to individuals. Steve Garza joined Bagwell in that opinion.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson City Council discussed mask wearing briefly at their meeting Tuesday. Three of the five council members wore masks at the council table, Nancy Soldner, Jon Daveline and Jade Piros De Carvalho. Steve Garza and Sara Bagwell were not wearing masks. The discussion was in the context of whether to mandate masks in city buildings. City Manager Jeff Cantrell, who was not wearing a mask, noted that there are other ways to control public access to city staff, if necessary."If we felt that we had an exposure issue that could impact services as far as knocking employees out, that's when you're going to see some swift action on the part of staff coming forward and we'd probably recommend shutting the building down again," Cantrell said.Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho did note that the City of Hutchinson has enacted health related ordinances in the past."We enacted an ordinance that prohibited smoking in our parks," Piros de Carvalho said. "That's another instance of an ordinance we don't really have the manpower to enforce, but, just by virtue of having the ordinance has dramatically decreased the amount of smoking. Other citizens police each other on that."Piros de Carvalho isn't sure how to make a mandate stick without enforcement, though."I'm curious where the threshold is," Piros de Carvalho said. "When do we pull a special meeting together and take action? Is that when we have 100 cases? Is that when we have 50 cases? We currently have around 30 active cases."Because the public will have such strong opinions either way, the mayor didn't feel it was appropriate to take action without it being on the agenda and at this point the city is continuing to leave the policy decision in the hands of the county. Council member Nancy Soldner appeared to not want to put policy in place without an enforcement mechanism and Jon Daveline seemed to agree with her on that point. Sara Bagwell wants to leave the responsibility to individuals. Steve Garza joined Bagwell in that opinion.

Hutchinson city council discusses masks, no action taken Tuesday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti told county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that the testing numbers he is giving them are accurate.

"There seems to be an assumption that individuals are tested over and over and over again, if they test positive, they continue to be tested until they are negative," Baldetti said. "That simply isn't the case. If an individual is tested and they test positive, they are quarantined for 14 days post-symptoms. If they present no symptoms but they test positive, then they simply quarantine for 14 days. If they are sick and they go get tested and they test positive, that 14 day quarantine doesn't start until their symptoms pass. They are still quarantined when they have symptoms, but the 14 day clock, so to speak doesn't start until they no longer have symptoms."

There aren't generally multiple tests used on an individual who tests negative, either.

"If somebody tests negative, we don't test them again unless they present some sort of symptoms or they get put into a situation where they have a high risk of exposure and they have a job that has a high risk of spread," Baldetti said.

With that said, the active cases number is climbing.

"The activity that we're seeing, at least what we have seen over the weekend and into yesterday, we're on a steady incline," Baldetti said. "The last seven days, I'm just going to give you the active cases. On June 30, we had six active cases, on the first of July we had nine. the second, we had 16, the third, we had 17, the fourth, we had 21, the fifth we had 26 and the sixth, we had 27. We had cases get deemed recovered in there, as well."

That's about five to six new positive cases a day over the last four days. Also, five in the hospital at once is equal to the peak usage thus far, according to Baldetti.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589472383275.jpeg" alt="" />
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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti told county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that the testing numbers he is giving them are accurate."There seems to be an assumption that individuals are tested over and over and over again, if they test positive, they continue to be tested until they are negative," Baldetti said. "That simply isn't the case. If an individual is tested and they test positive, they are quarantined for 14 days post-symptoms. If they present no symptoms but they test positive, then they simply quarantine for 14 days. If they are sick and they go get tested and they test positive, that 14 day quarantine doesn't start until their symptoms pass. They are still quarantined when they have symptoms, but the 14 day clock, so to speak doesn't start until they no longer have symptoms."There aren't generally multiple tests used on an individual who tests negative, either."If somebody tests negative, we don't test them again unless they present some sort of symptoms or they get put into a situation where they have a high risk of exposure and they have a job that has a high risk of spread," Baldetti said.With that said, the active cases number is climbing."The activity that we're seeing, at least what we have seen over the weekend and into yesterday, we're on a steady incline," Baldetti said. "The last seven days, I'm just going to give you the active cases. On June 30, we had six active cases, on the first of July we had nine. the second, we had 16, the third, we had 17, the fourth, we had 21, the fifth we had 26 and the sixth, we had 27. We had cases get deemed recovered in there, as well."That's about five to six new positive cases a day over the last four days. Also, five in the hospital at once is equal to the peak usage thus far, according to Baldetti.

Testing numbers not inflated, case numbers going up fast

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government on Monday identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money through a federal program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms.

The Treasury Department’s Payroll Protection Program approved applicants from a broad swath of industries. Some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries. Many law firms and private equity companies also obtained loans.

Businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9544ec851527b8712ff63adf9180b47">owned by politicians&nbsp;</a>also borrowed from the program, including a minor league baseball team owned by the family of the governor of Ohio. A large franchisee of Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, whose CEO is a major donor to President Donald Trump, received loans totaling $15 to $30 million.

Other recipients included Kanye West’s clothing and sneaker brand Yeezy, Ice Cube’s professional basketball league, Planned Parenthood clinics in more than two dozen states, the nonprofit arm of the anti-tax group headed by Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, as well as Rosenblatt Securities, one of the biggest names on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

As of June 30, the program had handed out $521 billion. The Treasury Department identified just a fraction of the total borrowers Monday, naming only companies that got more than $150,000. Those firms made up less than 15% of the nearly 5 million small companies and organizations that received loans.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and chairman of the Small Business Committee that crafted the program, said the release of the data provided “much needed transparency.” He called the program “a historic lifeline” for small businesses during the pandemic.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the data release as a “good start” but lamented that it took so long and “so much pressure from Democrats” to make the information public. He said more transparency was needed ”to ensure that these taxpayer dollars went where Congress intended — to the truly small and underbanked small businesses.”

Economists generally credit the program with helping prevent the job market meltdown from being much worse. Employers added 7.5 million jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">May and June</a>, a solid increase that was probably driven in part by the PPP. The economy still has nearly 15 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic.

Research by the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2020-58/" target="_blank">found that</a>&nbsp;companies with fewer than 50 workers before the pandemic saw their hiring rise 12% in May, while jobs grew just 5% in larger firms, suggesting PPP helped fuel rehiring.

But the program was only intended to carry the economy through a short interruption from the pandemic, which is now threatening to have a longer-lasting impact. The Treasury Department initially required the loans to be spent within eight weeks of being received, though that was later extended to 24 weeks.

Many small businesses have already run through their PPP money and still face sharply smaller demand, as consumers remain wary of returning to previous habits of shopping, visiting gyms, or eating out. Texas, Florida, California, New York and others states have reversed their reopenings, closing down bars and delaying the onset of indoor dining.

“The biggest issue is that PPP is short-term help,” said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, a freelancing platform. “And now we’re dealing with a mid- to long-term problem.”

A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that as of mid-June, 14% of small businesses that borrowed from the PPP expected they would have to lay off some workers when their loan ran out.

The program provided loans of up to $10 million for small businesses to help them recover from the government-ordered shutdowns and revenue losses caused by the virus. The average loan amount for the entire program was $107,000, the Treasury Department said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP-Results-Sunday.pdf" target="_blank">broad summary</a>&nbsp;of the program.

The loans can be forgiven if businesses mostly use the money to continue paying workers. The program initially was set to expire June 30 but was extended last week to Aug. 8, with $132 billion still available.

The recipients employed 51 million people before the pandemic began, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. That amounts to about 85% of all workers at companies with fewer than 500 employees. The government will not know how many of these jobs were actually saved until companies apply to have the loans forgiven, a process that is just beginning.

A senior administration official said Monday that some small companies “will need additional support” in the coming months.

The public may never know the identity of more than 80% of the nearly 5 million beneficiaries to date because the administration has refused to release details on loans under $150,000. That secrecy spurred a lawsuit by news organizations including The Associated Press.

The Treasury Department has released only dollar ranges for the loan amounts, rather than exact figures.

High-profile evangelical megachurches, including several with pastors who have backed Trump, also received loans after religious entities were permitted to seek aid even if they performed only faith-based functions.

Among the Trump-linked churches that received PPP loans was First Baptist Dallas, the Texas megachurch where senior pastor and White House ally Robert Jeffress hosted Vice President Mike Pence for a pre-July 4 service. Jeffress’ church reported retaining nearly 300 jobs with its loan of between $2 million and $5 million.

Some major supporters of Trump also benefited. Muy Brands Inc., a San Antonio, Texas-based franchisee with more than 750 Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, received between $15 million and $30 million between three entities. Muy Brands CEO James Bodenstedt is a major donor to the president. He has given $300,000 to the Trump Victory PAC since the start of this year, according to federal campaign finance records.

The hardest-hit restaurant and hotel industries lost nearly half of their pre-pandemic jobs in March and April. They ranked fifth on a list of recipients. Health care, professional and business services, construction and manufacturing received a greater share of loans.

And according to an analysis by Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at Standard &amp; Poor’s, some states with the smallest increases in unemployment from the pandemic got more loans than harder-hit states.

“It didn’t reach the industries that needed it, and it looked like it didn’t reach the states that were hardest hit,” Bovino said.

Media companies, including Newsday and American Media, former owner of the National Enquirer, got loans of up to $5 million.

The data gave few details about loans to minority-owned businesses. Companies were not required to supply demographic data on their applications, and many entries about race and gender contained “unanswered.”

However, many minority-owned businesses are run by the owner, with few, if any, employees, so their loan amounts likely were under $150,000 and therefore not part of the data release. Senior administration officials who briefed reporters before the release said they hoped to get more information when owners submit applications for loan forgiveness over the next few months.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593545192155.png" alt="Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin prior to his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee&nbsp; June 30-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin prior to his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee&nbsp; June 30-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The government on Monday identified roughly 650,000 mostly small businesses and nonprofits that received taxpayer money through a federal program that was designed to soften job losses from the coronavirus but also benefited wealthy, well-connected companies and some celebrity owned firms.The Treasury Department’s Payroll Protection Program approved applicants from a broad swath of industries. Some that were less directly impacted by the pandemic, such as manufacturing and construction, received a greater proportion of the loans than the hard-hit restaurant and hotel industries. Many law firms and private equity companies also obtained loans.Businesses&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/b9544ec851527b8712ff63adf9180b47">owned by politicians&nbsp;</a>also borrowed from the program, including a minor league baseball team owned by the family of the governor of Ohio. A large franchisee of Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, whose CEO is a major donor to President Donald Trump, received loans totaling $15 to $30 million.Other recipients included Kanye West’s clothing and sneaker brand Yeezy, Ice Cube’s professional basketball league, Planned Parenthood clinics in more than two dozen states, the nonprofit arm of the anti-tax group headed by Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, as well as Rosenblatt Securities, one of the biggest names on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1588075781384.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As of June 30, the program had handed out $521 billion. The Treasury Department identified just a fraction of the total borrowers Monday, naming only companies that got more than $150,000. Those firms made up less than 15% of the nearly 5 million small companies and organizations that received loans.Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and chairman of the Small Business Committee that crafted the program, said the release of the data provided “much needed transparency.” He called the program “a historic lifeline” for small businesses during the pandemic.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the data release as a “good start” but lamented that it took so long and “so much pressure from Democrats” to make the information public. He said more transparency was needed ”to ensure that these taxpayer dollars went where Congress intended — to the truly small and underbanked small businesses.”Economists generally credit the program with helping prevent the job market meltdown from being much worse. Employers added 7.5 million jobs in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cddec060d38eacbb708a47120d34af51">May and June</a>, a solid increase that was probably driven in part by the PPP. The economy still has nearly 15 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic.Research by the Federal Reserve&nbsp;<a href="https://bfi.uchicago.edu/working-paper/2020-58/" target="_blank">found that</a>&nbsp;companies with fewer than 50 workers before the pandemic saw their hiring rise 12% in May, while jobs grew just 5% in larger firms, suggesting PPP helped fuel rehiring.But the program was only intended to carry the economy through a short interruption from the pandemic, which is now threatening to have a longer-lasting impact. The Treasury Department initially required the loans to be spent within eight weeks of being received, though that was later extended to 24 weeks.Many small businesses have already run through their PPP money and still face sharply smaller demand, as consumers remain wary of returning to previous habits of shopping, visiting gyms, or eating out. Texas, Florida, California, New York and others states have reversed their reopenings, closing down bars and delaying the onset of indoor dining.“The biggest issue is that PPP is short-term help,” said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, a freelancing platform. “And now we’re dealing with a mid- to long-term problem.”A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that as of mid-June, 14% of small businesses that borrowed from the PPP expected they would have to lay off some workers when their loan ran out.The program provided loans of up to $10 million for small businesses to help them recover from the government-ordered shutdowns and revenue losses caused by the virus. The average loan amount for the entire program was $107,000, the Treasury Department said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/PPP-Results-Sunday.pdf" target="_blank">broad summary</a>&nbsp;of the program.The loans can be forgiven if businesses mostly use the money to continue paying workers. The program initially was set to expire June 30 but was extended last week to Aug. 8, with $132 billion still available.The recipients employed 51 million people before the pandemic began, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. That amounts to about 85% of all workers at companies with fewer than 500 employees. The government will not know how many of these jobs were actually saved until companies apply to have the loans forgiven, a process that is just beginning.A senior administration official said Monday that some small companies “will need additional support” in the coming months.The public may never know the identity of more than 80% of the nearly 5 million beneficiaries to date because the administration has refused to release details on loans under $150,000. That secrecy spurred a lawsuit by news organizations including The Associated Press.The Treasury Department has released only dollar ranges for the loan amounts, rather than exact figures.High-profile evangelical megachurches, including several with pastors who have backed Trump, also received loans after religious entities were permitted to seek aid even if they performed only faith-based functions.Among the Trump-linked churches that received PPP loans was First Baptist Dallas, the Texas megachurch where senior pastor and White House ally Robert Jeffress hosted Vice President Mike Pence for a pre-July 4 service. Jeffress’ church reported retaining nearly 300 jobs with its loan of between $2 million and $5 million.Some major supporters of Trump also benefited. Muy Brands Inc., a San Antonio, Texas-based franchisee with more than 750 Wendy’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants, received between $15 million and $30 million between three entities. Muy Brands CEO James Bodenstedt is a major donor to the president. He has given $300,000 to the Trump Victory PAC since the start of this year, according to federal campaign finance records.The hardest-hit restaurant and hotel industries lost nearly half of their pre-pandemic jobs in March and April. They ranked fifth on a list of recipients. Health care, professional and business services, construction and manufacturing received a greater share of loans.And according to an analysis by Beth Ann Bovino, U.S. chief economist at Standard &amp; Poor’s, some states with the smallest increases in unemployment from the pandemic got more loans than harder-hit states.“It didn’t reach the industries that needed it, and it looked like it didn’t reach the states that were hardest hit,” Bovino said.Media companies, including Newsday and American Media, former owner of the National Enquirer, got loans of up to $5 million.The data gave few details about loans to minority-owned businesses. Companies were not required to supply demographic data on their applications, and many entries about race and gender contained “unanswered.”However, many minority-owned businesses are run by the owner, with few, if any, employees, so their loan amounts likely were under $150,000 and therefore not part of the data release. Senior administration officials who briefed reporters before the release said they hoped to get more information when owners submit applications for loan forgiveness over the next few months.

Small business virus relief went beyond hard-hit companies, data show

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set a new record Monday for its worst two-week spike in reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, prompting its Democratic governor to issue a stern public warning meant to push the public and local officials in her red state into accepting masks in public as necessary.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the state has seen at least seven new clusters of two or more reported cases in the past five days directly related to bars and restaurants. She recommended during a Statehouse news conference that counties delay lifting their last restrictions on public gatherings.

Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;requiring people to wear masks in public and in their workplaces, and it took effect Friday. But Kansas counties can opt out, and some have done so. Commissioners in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, adopted a less restrictive mask mandate Monday.

“Kansas is at a make-it or break-it moment,” Kelly said.

The state Department of Health and Environment reported 982 more confirmed coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 6% that brought the total to 16,901. It also reported another three COVID-19-related deaths to bring the total for the pandemic to 280.

During the past two weeks, Kansas reported an average of 317 new coronavirus cases a day. That was nearly 15% higher than the 276 for the two weeks that ended Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f492431f603ac1ad9610ccc32bb2c0c2">previously the largest spike.</a>&nbsp;The state had seen its average number of new cases decline from mid-May through mid-June until cases began to surge again.

“I’m fully aware it’s going in the wrong direction,” Kelly said after her news conference Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594062014716.png" alt="Photo courtesy Office of Governor Laura Kelly" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Office of Governor Laura Kelly</figcaption>
 </figure> By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set a new record Monday for its worst two-week spike in reported coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, prompting its Democratic governor to issue a stern public warning meant to push the public and local officials in her red state into accepting masks in public as necessary.Gov. Laura Kelly said the state has seen at least seven new clusters of two or more reported cases in the past five days directly related to bars and restaurants. She recommended during a Statehouse news conference that counties delay lifting their last restrictions on public gatherings.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F285653772527001%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>Kelly issued&nbsp;<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200702093130003.pdf" target="_blank">an order</a>&nbsp;requiring people to wear masks in public and in their workplaces, and it took effect Friday. But Kansas counties can opt out, and some have done so. Commissioners in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka, adopted a less restrictive mask mandate Monday.“Kansas is at a make-it or break-it moment,” Kelly said.The state Department of Health and Environment reported 982 more confirmed coronavirus cases since Friday, an increase of 6% that brought the total to 16,901. It also reported another three COVID-19-related deaths to bring the total for the pandemic to 280.During the past two weeks, Kansas reported an average of 317 new coronavirus cases a day. That was nearly 15% higher than the 276 for the two weeks that ended Friday,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f492431f603ac1ad9610ccc32bb2c0c2">previously the largest spike.</a>&nbsp;The state had seen its average number of new cases decline from mid-May through mid-June until cases began to surge again.“I’m fully aware it’s going in the wrong direction,” Kelly said after her news conference Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594055033998.png" alt="Monday July 6, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Monday July 6, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.Mask mandates are in place in three of the state’s most populous counties, Johnson and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City area, and Douglas County in northeast Kansas, home to the main University of Kansas campus. Sedgwick County commissioners opted out of a mandate, but the city of Wichita, where 76% of the county’s residents live, voted to impose one.Shawnee County commissioners last week opted out of Kelly’s mandate and voted 2-1 Monday to impose looser rules allowing people to wear face shields instead of cloth coverings. The commission heard complaints from business owners that in summer, it will be too hot for many people to wear masks.The county has seen a 60% increase in reported cases in the past two weeks, and county health officer Gianfranco Pezzino told commissioners that if the same surge had happened at the beginning of the pandemic in March, “it would be a lockdown.”“As unpleasant as this measure is, I think at this point in time, this is necessary,” Pezzino said. “Is it going to be two weeks? Is it going to be two months? I cannot tell you.”Meanwhile, one of the state’s largest public school districts, Shawnee Mission in Johnson County, canceled in-person graduation ceremonies it had set for July 14-16 because of a surge in coronavirus cases,&nbsp;<a href="https://fox4kc.com/news/shawnee-mission-school-district-cancels-in-person-graduation-amid-surge-in-coronavirus-cases/" target="_blank">WDAF-TV reported.</a>The state’s 105 counties have been setting the rules for businesses and public gathering since May 26, when Kelly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/a5e30a0ec7a5943ada9f03af22ee1970">lifted statewide restrictions.</a><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2020s/b2020s/measures/documents/summary_hb_2016_2020special" target="_blank">The state law</a>&nbsp;allowing counties to opt out of her health orders was enacted last month and resulted from a compromise between Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature, which had complained that she was too slow to reopen the state’s economy.State and local officials across the U.S. have faced resistance to mask requirements from conservative Republicans, particularly President Donald Trump’s supporters. Some GOP lawmakers in Kansas have suggested that Kelly’s order infringes on personal liberties.Some legislators and local officials also have questioned how a mask mandate will be enforced. Kelly’s order allows local officials to pursue fines of up to $2,500 for violations. However, she said Monday that she expects counties largely to educate violators about the importance of wearing masks.In eastern Kansas, Anderson County’s GOP chairman, who owns a weekly newspaper, posted a cartoon Friday on its Facebook page equating Kelly’s order to the mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust. He removed the cartoon Sunday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/14c464d55ec75051a29358c1a58f8403">and apologized</a>&nbsp;publicly for unintentionally using “deeply hurtful” imagery.Patrick Miller, a University of Kansas political scientist, said Republican officials’ rhetoric on masks has shifted in recent weeks, so that many encourage wearing masks but oppose a mandate. GOP officials are less likely to mock mask-wearing now, Miller said.Texas is among states with Republican governors that have imposed mask mandates.“It could be very indicative of where we’re going,” Miller said. “Some politicians are going to evolve on this. I think we’re still seeing that evolution occur.”

Coronavirus Update