TOPEKA, Kan. — Top Republican legislators have signed off on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s request to extend a state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic.
Their action Wednesday came as the state set another record for COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Eight leaders of the GOP-controlled Legislature, six of them Republicans, quickly and unanimously approved Kelly’s plan to extend the state of emergency until Nov. 15. Meanwhile, the state health department reported that had another 1,244 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Monday, an increase of 2%, to bring the pandemic total to 63, 952.
The state averaged a record 29.14 new hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Wednesday,
