WICHITA, Kan. — Hundreds of people in Kansas’ largest city flocked to bars and clubs on the first weekend they were open after Gov. Laura Kelly and local officials lifted restrictions meant to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Wichita Eagle reported that by 11 p.m. Friday, bars in the Old Town district in downtown Wichita were packing in customers for a celebration after being closed for two months. Knots of people moved through the streets, hugging friends they met and in some cases, turning cartwheels.
Johns Hopkins University on Saturday reported more than 9,600 coronavirus cases in Kansas, with 215 COVID-19-related deaths.