By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall is optimistic that the worst of the first peak of COVID-19 will be behind us soon.
"The good news is, that I think, everything that I can study in the United States and Kansas says the worst days are behind us," Marshall said. "Whatever resources we were going to need for hospital beds and ICU beds and ventilators, we have passed that day in Kansas, as well as the rest of the country. We have a hiccup going on in southwest Kansas right now."
That part of the state isn't as far along as some other areas.
"Right now, they're in the acceleration phase down in southwest Kansas," Marshall said. "We're doing a lot of things to help them, as well. We should be talking about, what does it look like here in a month or so. I know that I was on a phone call with Carter File this past week and the community college presidents, what it looks like this summer."
The hope is that they can get some kids that need hands on vocational instruction in to do some of that in the summertime.
"It took kind of a month for this virus to crescendo and accelerate," Marshall said. "We're up there at that peak of that curve, as well, so it will probably take a month to come down, but if we go back out now, then we will have a huge rebound. We need to stay hunkered down for a couple more weeks."
Marshall suggested that those looking to reopen businesses discuss with infectious disease professionals what reopening needs to look like when the virus has calmed down enough to do so.