COVID-19 news: As Kansas and Missouri slog through pandemic, officials plan reopening
After weeks under lockdown and thousands of coronavirus cases in Kansas and Missouri, officials are examining how the pandemic may impact the weeks and months to come as areas begin to reopen.
Beginning May 4, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly intends to issue new “re-opening restrictions” that won’t prohibit gatherings where people can consistently maintain 6-foot distancing and follow other safety measures.
While the specifics may change, “unless there is a significant change in trends or status of the pandemic, the new restrictions will be significantly less restrictive than those currently in place,” according to a court filing.
Even so, counties and cities are expected to hold at least some power to impose their own restrictions. Areas with large numbers of cases or severe outbreaks could remain under more stringent rules, while other areas might resume business more quickly.
Eight new COVID-19 were reported Monday morning in Wyandotte County.
In total, 573 people have tested positive as the county continues to see the highest number of positive coronavirus cases in Kansas.
The largest COVID-19 outbreak in the county is focused at Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation Center in Kansas City, Kansas, where at least 28 residents have died since the first death linked to the facility occurred on April 5. At least 128 confirmed cases are linked to the facility.
Kelly has said the standards that will guide the state’s reopening will center on COVID-19 testing, the ability of hospitals to handle a surge in cases, the availability of personal protective equipment and the scope of contact tracing to identify and quarantine those exposed.
But last week, the governor continued to express grave concerns over testing, saying the state has “nowhere near” the supplies needed. Kansas consistently ranks last or near-last among states in per-capita testing.
Across Kansas, 3,174 cases have been confirmed.
In Missouri, 6,997 cases have been reported.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said he also plans to begin lifting restrictions on May 4 and that gyms, barber shops and salons will be allowed to open for business.
Kansas City as well as Jackson and Platte counties, however, will remain under stay-at-home orders though May 15.
On Sunday, Kansas City announced that four pop-up testing sites would be available this week. By Monday afternoon, the city said sign-up for the free testing services had reached capacity.
Looking ahead to the summer and fall, school officials in the Kansas City area said they are considering how classes will be conducted.
Kansas City Public Schools already decided to hold summer school remotely, June 1-26, but “details are still being refined,” said Kelly Wachel, district spokeswoman.
Educators aren’t sure if on-site classes will resume this fall.
Officials in Missouri and Kansas said they are following a multiple-scenario plan which includes the possibility of greeting a new group of students over Zoom or Google Classroom this fall.
Charles Foust, superintendent of Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, also said “remote teaching could put an end to snow days.”
“Now that we have experienced virtual learning, I think it has prepared us for educating kids differently, not just for us but throughout the country.”
So next winter, if students can’t get to school, he said, teachers could just deliver classes online. “That would also mean there won’t be a need to make up days at the end of the school year either,” Foust said. “Even though we were nervous when this all started, this is making us think differently about how to do school.”
Jonathan Shorman, Anna Spoerre, Cortlynn Stark, Luke Nozicka, Mará Rose Williams and Sarah Ritter contributed to this story.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 12:50 PM.
