The Barton County Health Department announced Thursday it would streamline some services while responding to an unprecedented number of new COVID-19 cases – 131 in six days. (See “County reports dramatic increase in COVID-19,” Nov. 6 Great Bend Tribune). WIC services at the Health Department for Women, Infants and Children will continue as normal, but outreach services will be limited and the department may restrict other services such as flu vaccination and other testing services to certain days and times.
The new schedule of services will be available Monday afternoon.
Here is additional information on the breakdown of the 131 new cases:
The cases represent 75 males and 56 females. Six of those individuals reside in Claflin, eight in Ellinwood, 91 in Great Bend, six in Hoisington, two in Olmitz and 18 in rural Barton County.
With so many new cases, the number of positive active cases rose from 80 on Oct. 30 to 212 on Nov. 5, and the number of active quarantine or isolation orders rose from 238 to 542.
The Tribune asked Barton County Public Information Officer Donna Zimmerman if the 91 new cases in Great Bend could be attributed to any particular area or event. On Friday afternoon, Zimmerman relayed the following information from Health Director Karen Winkelman.
“It’s just community spread,” Zimmerman said, adding there was no specific area or cluster. “It’s coming from everywhere.” Zimmerman said there have been additional positive cases since Thursday’s report, but she did not know when the next announcement will come.
Statewide
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment updated its COVIC-19 statistics on Friday.
There have been 97,633 cases, resulting in 4,067 hospitalizations and 1,166 deaths statewide. There were 5,418 new cases, 79 new deaths and 83 new hospitalizations reported since Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Great Bend USD 428
Great Bend USD 428 posted new COVID-19 notifications in the schools on its website:
On Wednesday, Nov. 4, two students at Eisenhower Elementary School tested positive. In the case of one student, no additional quarantines were expected. However, in the other instance, nine additional people were expected to receive quarantine orders for close contact.
Pawnee County
The Pawnee County Health Department posted its weekly update on Tuesday, Nov. 3. There have been 440 total cases, including those at the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility, Excluding LCMHF, there have been 132 community cases, with 28 cases identified in the last 14 days and 11 identified in the last seven days.
The county is at the “orange” risk level with 14 active cases.
“Cases are increasing statewide,” the Pawnee County Health Department posted on Facebook. “We need to do better at protecting everyone; remember my mask protects you and your mask protects me. Currently in Pawnee County per a motion made by the Pawnee County Board of Health on Oct. 12, if two individuals are at less than 6 feet for more than 10 minutes and both parties are wearing a mask correctly with two layers, should one of the parties test positive then quarantine is not recommended. Mask usage makes sense for all Pawnee County residents. Pawnee County residents please wear a mask and we can all be a part of the solution. Distancing from others, avoiding crowds and hand washing are all ways to reduce exposure too!”
