Update 5 p.m. Friday
Riley County health and safety officials provided no additional updates on the new positive COVID-19 tests at their daily online press conference Friday, but say the community could see a large jump in pending test numbers as soon as Saturday.
Officials reported 113 pending tests earlier Friday due to increased availability of testing kits, but officially released a pending test count of 24. The discrepancy is due to still pending confirmation of where those tested individuals reside and whether they are Riley County residents.
“We’ll have a little bit more clarification about that hopefully tomorrow morning,” says City of Manhattan Public Information Officer Vivienne Uccello.
Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says such discrepancies are usually due to questions around addresses as well as the timing of when reports are released. She does say that coronavirus testing rates have increased along with testing kit availability, adding that residents should expect rising numbers of both positive and negative cases as a result.
“We, of course, would like to get a reduction in the percent of total positives,” says Gibbs. “To get there, we have to continue to practice social distancing, proper hand hygiene, wearing masks when you cannot distance from others and continue to restrict our movement.”
President and CEO of Ascension Via Christi Bob Copple says while one Riley County resident is hospitalized, there are three persons under investigation who have COVID-like symptoms, but also underlying health issues and are awaiting tests to confirm the cause of their symptoms.
“If they do have COVID, we want to know that because that helps us make sure we’re taking every precaution possible for staff,” says Copple, “also the patient themselves.”
Copple says patients are housed in a cohort separate from other patients and that the hospital continues to have a strict visitor policy to reduce the number of people interacting with staff and patients. Copple noted that to encourage residents putting off vital health services out of concern of infection to get the help they need. He says the ER is at around half capacity compared to usual and they have had multiple patients admitted that appear to have held off on getting care leading their afflictions to worsen.
“If it’s significant, you do need to come to the hospital,” says Copple. “People shouldn’t fear getting health care to the risk of their own health.
Copple says they have sophisticated air handling systems, increased cleanliness and required masking of staff to protect patients.
“We’re going to take care of people, we want to do that always, but we would want to take care of them perhaps earlier in the course of their illness,” says Copple. “Reach out and seek help before it is an emergent issue.”
He asks residents to stay in touch with loved ones and encourage each other to not put off vital care.
Update 10 a.m. Friday
The number of positive cases of coronavirus continues to climb, now at 40 as of Friday morning, as testing becomes more available in the community.
The Riley County Health Department says the latest individuals to test positive are a 22-year-old woman, a 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man. There are currently three positive patients and three persons under investigation at the hospital. One of the three patients is a Riley County resident. One person remains on a ventilator.
The health department says there are 113 pending tests as they’ve been able to expand testing based on new KDHE guidelines and additional supplies.
Pottawatomie County was reporting eight positive cases as of Thursday afternoon, three of which are in self-isolation. All three are Wamego residents. Geary County totaled nine positive cases as of Thursday.
More information will be shared during this afternoon’s press conference at 4:15 p.m. and the daily update on KMAN with health officer Julie Gibbs.
Update 5 p.m.:
by Nick McNamara
Riley County health and safety officials provided no additional updates on the new positive tests at their daily online press conference Thursday, saying they will continue to follow guidance and orders coming down from Gov. Laura Kelly’s office.
“As of now, there has been no indication of any changes,” says Riley County EMS Director David Adams. “The governor will make any decisions based on state-wide data.”
He also noted Kansas saw a 271 case spike yesterday, adding that will be taken into account as the next steps forward are considered.
“We don’t have any idea right now what the governor’s going to do, we’re having to wait just like everybody else is,” says Adams. “But that large increase in positives is showing it is still spreading in the state.”
Adams also reiterated a hope expressed by Gibbs Wednesday that they are hoping to being testing more widely due to increased testing kit availability in Kansas. Now, residents can qualify for testing even if they do not have a fever, though they must have two known symptoms. More information on symptoms can be found at Rileycountyks.gov/coronavirus.
Adams further said antibody testing is not available at this time, noting that tests being developed are not specific to COVID-19 and have not received FDA approval.
“What those antibody tests are showing is if you had a coronavirus, [including]a common cold,” says Adams. “That’s why they are not approved by the FDA at this point.”
With the weather warming up, Assistant RCPD Director Kurt Moldrup says they are hearing more of social gatherings such as barbecues and house parties typical to the time of year. He encourages residents to take advantage of the weather to get out and exercise, but reminds residents that state and local stay-at-home orders and gathering limitations remain in place.
“It’s awkward for [officers],” says Moldrup. “They don’t want to do this, they’re wanting to enjoy time with their friends as well so they understand, but we need to comply with this order so we can move forward.”
He says they don’t intend on being “fun police,” but says officers will be proactive in speaking with folks gathering in order to educate them on the health guidelines from the state and gain voluntary compliance. Moldrup says the community needs to work together and continue physical distancing in order for the county to get to a position where businesses can begin re-opening.
Additionally, though the governor has permitted curbside alcohol sales, Moldrup says that doesn’t mean people can drive with an open container. Drinks bought from restaurants must be put into a sealed container at the restaurant and provide customers with a receipt for verification.
Adams and Moldrup say the unified command at the Emergency Operations Center is also staying in contact with neighboring Geary and Pottawatomie Counties as they plan the path toward recovery and re-opening businesses noting the overlap and commuting that occurs between the counties.
“Each order will likely look a little different,” says Moldrup. “We’re all trying to not do a cookie-cutter for the whole state, but do what is appropriate in each county based on the circumstances in each county.”
“We want to do the right thing at the right time for our county, as do they.”
Original:
Riley County has three more positive cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 37.
The new patients are all female, ages 19, 47 and 57-years-old, and are in home isolation.
Two of these patients were at one point in contact with a previously identified patient. Contact tracing is still being done for the third patient.
24 of the 37 cases are active while the rest are patients who have recovered.
Ascension Via Christi Hospital currently has three COVID-19 confirmed positive patients, one of which is a Riley County resident, and three additional patients who are considered Persons Under Investigation.
Riley County has 243 negative and 17 pending test results.
One new positive case has been confirmed in Pottawatomie County, bringing the total to seven cases.
Geary County remains at nine positive cases.
