Months after ending contact tracing, Kelly says COVID-19 is endemic in Kansas
Kansas is transitioning to an “endemic” stage of COVID-19 Gov. Laura Kelly said Thursday.
Her announcement, which says the state will “make changes” to adjust to a “new normal,” follows a similar declaration from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson Wednesday.
“Kansas is continuing the transition to a new phase of understanding and living with COVID-19,” Kelly said in a statement. “We know the pandemic is not over, however we now have the tools and knowledge obtained over the past two years to prevent or reduce the spread of the virus.”
According to New York Times data Kansas is averaging 106 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths per day. 8,294 Kansans have died over the course of the pandemic.
The announcement confirms the path Kansas has been on for months, shifting from emergency operations to endemic, meaning COVID-19 is still prevalent in society but no longer overwhelming medical resources.
The Kelly administration started planning the shift in the fall but was delayed by a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations brought on by the Omicron variant.
In January, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment stopped contact tracing. At the time Secretary Janet Stanek called it a “move toward managing COVID-19 as an endemic disease” by placing more responsibility on the individual.
Last month, following pressure from vaccine-skeptical lawmakers, the agency stopped airing public service announcements encouraging Kansans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking to reporters after her swearing in ceremony Monday, Stanek said there was no plan to bring the advertisements back.
In a press release, Kelly’s office said the state would begin phasing out state support for COVID-19 testing in long term care facilities in May.
KDHE, the release said, would continue to monitor COVID-19 in Kansas, support texting access, ensure access to vaccines and provide guidance on how to best respond to the virus.
On Wednesday Missouri Gov. Mike Parson declared “the COVID-19 crisis is over” in the state.
Earlier in the day, President Joe Biden urged Congress to approve billions in COVID-19 funding to ensure free vaccinations for Americans.
Biden, who made his remarks while receiving his second booster shot, said the “consequences of inaction are severe.” Biden also touted a new website, called covid.gov, that includes information on masks, testing, treatment and vaccines.
