Wyandotte County will adopt state’s next phase of reopening set for Friday
The Unified Government Public Health Department of Wyandotte County says it plans to adopt Kansas’ next phase for reopening, citing progress in slowing the spread of the coronavirus and a desire to align with the state’s timing.
As of midnight Friday, Wyandotte County says restrictions will be relaxed as prescribed in the state’s second phase of its reopening plan.
The announcement comes after Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday that the state would move to allow movie theaters, museums, non-tribal casinos and other indoor entertainment venues to reopen Friday after weeks of lockdown.
Dr. Allen Greiner, chief medical officer of the Unified Government Public Health Department, said in a statement Wednesday that local businesses and residents have “made significant progress in reducing transmission of COVID-19 and flattening the curve.”
“The local data supports further re-opening of our community, and the Governor’s Phase 2 plan strikes the appropriate balance between public health and economic activity at this time,” Greiner said in a statement. “To keep things under control, we urge everyone to wear masks, practice social distancing, and wash hands frequently.”
Local health officials also said the decision to suspend its own “ReStart WyCo” plan and follow the state’s timing was made to lessen confusion among residents and businesses about the mix of state and local guidelines.
Under the state’s second phase of its reopening plan gatherings of more than 15 people are prohibited, and most activities and venues may reopen with the exception of bars, night clubs and swimming pools. Organized sports and practices will be allowed along with community centers, arcades, trampoline parks, theaters, museums and bowling alleys.
The new activities and businesses that are allowed must comply with social distancing guidelines.
As of Wednesday, 1,176 positive cases have been reported in Wyandotte County, 371 people have recovered, 30 patients have been hospitalized and 71 have died, according to data provided by the local health department. More than 6,200 people have been tested.
As more businesses are allowed to reopen, the county says it will continue to monitor key data, including the daily rate of new cases and the number of hospitalizations and deaths over a 14-day period.
“Data points such as the 14-day moving average and total positive cases are moving in the right direction,” Juliann Van Liew, the director of the local health department, said in a statement. “It is important that we continue to expand testing across the community, and increase our contact tracing capacity. Testing and tracing are key components to managing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing a resurgence that could overwhelm the medical system.”
