Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly bans gatherings of more than 50

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday banned all gatherings larger than 50 people, bringing the entire state in line with restrictions already announced in Wichita and Kansas City, Mo., to combat the new coronavirus.

Kelly’s executive order reflects updated guidance issued Sunday night by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But minutes after Kelly announced the ban, President Donald Trump called on Americans to limit gatherings to 10 people.

“This is an essential step to further encourage social distancing and stem the spread of the virus,” Kelly said of her directive at a news conference in Topeka. “I want you to know that we do not take this action lightly.”

Kelly said she had meetings planned Monday afternoon with groups representing Kansas businesses and restaurants to discuss “how the state can best support Kansas businesses and their employees as we navigate this unprecedented challenge together.”

Kelly didn’t order mandatory closure of bars and restaurants, though she acknowledged some other states have taken that step. She said that “thankfully” many businesses and organizations across Kansas have already taken “difficult but necessary precautions in a proactive manner.”

The announcement came as officials reported that Kansas now has 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the majority in Johnson County. Lee Norman, the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said the three new positive cases are all people who had been exposed to a person in Johnson County who has also tested positive for the virus.

Norman said that individual had gone to a social gathering “while not feeling well.”

“And now these three people have come down ill with him,” Norman said.

This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly bans gatherings of more than 50."