Update 5:30 p.m.
Nearly a week into phase one of the re-opening plan, area health officials say the next steps will depend on COVID-19 numbers seen next week.
Riley County Health Officer Julie Gibbs updated the public online Friday. She says the next phase will kick in no sooner than May 18 according to Gov. Laura Kelly’s re-opening plan, but that could be delayed after they see the effects of the county’s re-opening on local COVID-19 numbers.
“It might mean at the end of next week we see a big spike,” says Gibbs. “And that may mean we have to stay in this phase a little bit longer. The governor may even decide that she wants to extend this phase that we’re currently in at least a week longer and, of course, we’ll go along with that.”
Each phase is slated to last a minimum of 14 days, which is based on the incubation period for the novel coronavirus — 2 to 14 days. Pre-requisites to move to the next phase of re-opening include sufficient testing and contact tracing capabilities, but Gibbs says locally they are also watching for increases in the percentage of individuals testing positive, how severely ill those testing positive are as well as whether there are any clusters of cases identified in the region.
Depending on conditions locally, Gibbs and command staff are discussing whether a county order stricter than the state’s is necessary. In phase 1, Riley County implemented stricter requirements for restaurants’ occupancy and hours of operation.
“That may mean getting rid of that 50 percent occupancy limit on the restaurants, possibly removing that 10 p.m. time [cut-off],” says Gibbs. “It may even mean that we don’t need to issue an order that is stricter than the governor’s.”
Gibbs says the re-opening process has gone smoothly in the county, noting that business owners have done well abiding by health and safety guidelines and requirements. Still, she encourages the community to continue physical distancing in public and avoiding unnecessary travel as the region takes its first steps toward recovery.
“As far as number of cases that we were projected to have, we have been under that,” says Gibbs. “And that is the good thing and we can relate that back to social distancing.”
Gibbs also thanked the community for the sacrifices they’ve made throughout the pandemic, acknowledging the hardship it’s caused for many.
“We recognize the impact this pandemic has on businesses, schools, daycares, parents who are trying to make ends meet and provide for their kids, and last but certainly not least all caregivers as we try to help our children with their homework,” says Gibbs.
She also gave residents advice for what to watch out for if they have any concerns heading out to shop or dine. Gibbs encourages residents to beware of stores where they notice crowding, to watch out for employees handling food wearing masks, proper germ shielding and six-foot distancing as well as overall store cleanliness.
Coronavirus questions can be directed to RileyCountyCOVID19@gmail.com. The screening line can also be reached from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at (785) 323-6400. Resources on coping with mental distress during this time can be found at Pawnee.org.
Original:
An additional positive coronavirus case was announced Friday morning by the Riley County Health Department.
The patient is a Riley County woman and is a family member of a previous positive case. It’s the second case in two days, after a 62-year-old man tested positive Thursday.
Public Information Officer Vivienne Uccello says Ascension Via Christi has two current Riley County residents who are positive in the hospital and one person under investigation who is a Pottawatomie County resident.
Active cases locally total 21 in Riley County and four in Pottawatomie County with two probable case there too. Geary County has five active cases.
Since testing began in the region two months ago, Riley County has totaled 57 positive coronavirus cases. As of Thursday, Pottawatomie County had totaled 16 confirmed cases and Geary County has totaled 15, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment..
